Where Eagles Dare
by SugarBeatAngel
Summary: Venturing from his strict Catholic upbringing for the first time, Roxas finds a wild world of sex, sin and punk rock in Los Angeles, Ca; With his friend Axel and cousin Demyx leading the way, the summer of 1980 is sure to be a wild one for Roxas. Complete
1. Hollywood Babylon

Hello and welcome to the third installment of my Organization XIII AU fanfic collection! If you've read any of my previous in this series then you know how this whole thing goes. If this is your first time reading one of my fics then let me tell you just exactly what you're in for.

This is rated MATURE for a reason. I will try to be as courteous as possible when letting you know prior to smut scenes but for the most part you just need to be aware that there WILL BE graphic scenes in this story. If you happen to read them and enjoy them, that's wonderful. But if you read them and it isn't your cup of tea, don't get pissed at me because it was fair warning. I warn you at the start of the chapter if it contains smut and I tell you where to stop reading and where to pick back up. If you can't handle that, kindly press the back button and go away.

Other than that, I'm prone to go off on ranting tangents in my author's note at any given moment. Deal.

Also, I don't mind anonymous reviews but I do prefer reviews under an account. I seldom reply to reviews. I usually try to respond to most of them all at once when I post the following chapter but there are often times where I may be weeks away from posting a chapter. Thus, it is annoying when I find reviews that I feel are important and need to be replied to but I can't because they were left under the anon feature. I reserve the right to delete any anon reviews, period. If you don't want your review deleted then sign in or create an account and review. Then at least that way I can reply to you. But in doing so, keep in mind that the review is for critique only. It's not to be abused. If you abuse it (like most anon reviewers do) you'll be made a fool of, likely ignored and possibly deleted.

Now that that's all clear and out of the way…

On to this story! It's AkuRoku of course and it's set in the 80's. It may not appeal to some due to the genre of music that the characters listen to but it's not like you're actually listening to the music. (Although I strongly encourage it!) But underneath the setting it is still a love story so hopefully you can appreciate that and perhaps enjoy the story for what it is.

Note: The title of the story and all the chapters will be titles of Misfits songs.

I own nothing. :(

Now please enjoy!

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Roxas had lived in Salem, Oregon his entire life. It was peaceful, quiet and tranquil. It was everything he had been taught to believe that life should be. It was boring… But it was life as he had always known it and he lived it the way his parents told him to; Responsibly. He was graduating at the top of his class from Sacred Heart Academy, a private Catholic school, and his parents couldn't have been prouder. They were the ones that encouraged him to succeed at all costs so that he could make something of himself.

It was now that he packed his bags and stared at the two brochures laying on his bed that he wished he had put forth a little less effort. He had been accepted to two colleges in California. The first was Loyola Marymount University, the school his father had attended in Los Angels. The second was Holy Names University located in Oakland where his mother had attended college. Both schools were very important to his parents, very far from home and of course, very Catholic. Had he known he would have been doomed to attend private schools his entire education he would have tried less in his schoolwork. It might have given him the opportunity to apply at another college had the two he'd been accepted to turned him down. Still, he had promised his parents he would try with everything he had to attend either university.

Now he was readying himself for a summer in California. He had an aunt that lived in Los Angeles and it was with this woman whom he hardly knew that he would be living for the next few months. While in California he would visit both colleges and decide for sure which university he was going to attend. He was also faced with the task of possibly finding a job. He hadn't told his parents yet but he was planning on finding a job in California once he got there. His family was well off and had plenty of money put away to pay for the tuition of either college as well as a dorm room. But Roxas wanted his own money and for the first time in his life he wanted a responsibility that was all his own. He had big plans for his future and he wanted to prove to his parents that he could be everything they wanted. He tinkered with his necklace, a crucifix his parents had given him at a young age, and continued to pack his bags with anticipation.

--

After a tearful goodbye from his mother and encouraging words from his father, Roxas had boarded his plane and taken seat on the short flight to Los Angeles. In no time at all the plane landed in LAX and he was standing at baggage claim. Apparently his cousin was supposed to be waiting for him somewhere around there but he had no idea what the boy looked like. He gazed longingly at the line of people holding signs but none of them had his name on it. He sighed heavily and grabbed up his bags. Slowly he made his way through the airport crowd trying to find anybody who might be able to help him. After asking several employees he was directed to the front of the airport where he was told some people would wait for new arrivals. He finally made his way to the outside where more people stood holding signs. Many were faces of different ethnicities that he had never seen before and it amazed him to see such a collection of different people in one place. His eyes were drawn away from the clutter of strange faces however by a young man standing quite a distance from the main group of people.

The boy was dressed in a way that was initially frightening to Roxas. His hair was as tall as the soles on his shoes and fashioned in the strangest way Roxas had ever seen. His back was turned but Roxas could imagine that the front side of his jeans were just as torn and mutilated as the back side. The thick studded belt around his waist did little to draw attention away from the towering spikes jutting dangerously out of the shoulders of his leather jacket. As the unusual figure turned around Roxas saw that he held a torn up piece of cardboard in his hands with Roxas' name on it. His heart dropped into his stomach and he released his hold on his luggage. This person that stood before him obnoxiously popping bubble gum while bopping his head to the music pumping through the headphones on his walkman was Roxas' cousin… No question about it. He swallowed hard and reclaimed his luggage from the ground before taking a few swift steps toward the boy. As he drew closer he noted his cousin was wearing more make-up than he had ever seen any woman wear in his entire life. He cleared his throat and stood waiting for the boy to notice him but he seemed too concerned with swinging his head around wildly. After a moment Roxas grew impatient and reached out to tap him lightly.

"Ehh? Oh!" Demyx blinked widely and stared down at Roxas a moment before tugging off his headphones and swallowing his gum. "You must be Roxas! Good to meet you finally. I'm Demyx. I'm your cousin!"

Roxas nodded slowly. "It's nice to meet you too. I uh… I'm sorry it took so long for me to find you. I was told you'd be waiting near the baggage claim."

"Oh, yeah. About that…" Demyx smiled and flicked one of the spikes on his shoulder. "Apparently I'm a threat to airport security with my wardrobe today. They wouldn't let me in…"

"Aren't you hot in that jacket?" Roxas wiped the sweat from his brow and looked up at the broiling sun. "It's at least ninety degrees!"

Demyx snorted. "Shit… It's more than that! Ninety-six right now. But that's just the beginning." He smiled and motioned for Roxas to follow him as he made his way back to their transportation. "You haven't seen how hot it can get in Southern California until you're here in the dead of July."

"And you wear that jacket all year long?" Roxas followed after Demyx hurriedly as the longer legged boy lead the way.

Demyx cast a glance at Roxas over his shoulder as though the boy was stupid. "Is that some kind of smart ass shit you're trying to give me kid?"

"N-no!" Roxas swallowed hard. "It's a legitimate question. I was just curious."

"Oh." Demyx shrugged and quickened his pace. "Well no, generally I don't wear the sleeves during summer. They zip on and off. But I just got new ink done and I gotta keep it covered. Don't want the sun burning and blistering it…"

Roxas cocked his head to the side in curiosity. "Ink?"

"Yeah, you know. Ink. Tattoos." Demyx shook his head. "What the shit, kid. Don't they teach you anything in those fancy schools of yours?"

"Only what they are supposed to teach us." He looked up at Demyx questioningly. "What are tattoos?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Demyx halted in his tracks and turned to face Roxas squarely. "Body art… Visual expressions of one's inner soul. A permanent reminder that we're human and we bleed and die like every other living thing on this God forsaken planet. You can't honestly say you've never heard of a fucking tattoo."

Roxas blushed sheepishly and looked away.

"Fucking A, kid. Strap yourself in… You're gonna have one hell of a summer." Demyx shook his head and continued on until he reached the black Mercedes Benz that had been waiting for them. He unlocked Roxas' door and then quickly crawled through to the drivers seat and popped the trunk. "Load your things in and then get in. I got somewhere I gotta be tonight."

Roxas looked at the car admirably and smiled. "This is a really nice car."

"Yeah, it's mom's. I wanted to pick you up on my ride but she said you'd probably have luggage. Guess the old lady's right every once in a while." He reached into his pocket and pulled out another piece of gum which he quickly deposited in his mouth before turning the key in the ignition. When Roxas finally joined him in the car Demyx ejected the cassette from his walkman and inserted it into the tape deck of the luxury car. "You like music?"

Roxas nodded. "I've never listened to much music. Only a few Christian faith songs my mother had on a record… But I do like it."

Demyx scoffed. "Ok, I should have asked if you liked _real_ music. I want to introduce you to my friends, The Ramones." He smirked and pressed the play button on the tape deck.

Roxas jumped at the initial blast of music blaring through the speakers of the car. He covered his ears with his hands and looked at Demyx desperately. "Isn't this a bit loud!?"

"What!?" Demyx looked at Roxas as he began to pull out of his parking space. "You think it needs to be louder!?"

"No!" Roxas groaned and leaned closer to Demyx. "I said it's TOO LOUD!"

"Too loud!?" Demyx chuckled and shook his head. "Shit kid, this is the only way to listen to real music! Loud! Now take your hands off your ears and experience the outside world for a little while!"

Roxas hesitantly pulled his hands away from his head. He let the fast paced music fill his ears and after a moment an almost melodic voice chimed in with the beat. He listened intently to the song and after a while a smile crawled onto his face.

"Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock n' roll high school!" Demyx sang loudly and laughed. He glanced at Roxas who had a small smile on his face. "See! Doesn't it make you feel good!?"

Roxas nodded slowly. "It's a strange feeling! But I think I like it!" He listened to the rest of the song and the two that followed. After that the music stopped and he looked reluctantly at the tape deck. "Is that it?"

"Yeah, sorry. I was listening to most of the tape while I was waiting for you." Demyx glanced around in search of another tape. "I was in such a rush to pick you up I only had time to grab my walkman. I was just lucky that tape was already in there. But I know for sure I left my Dead Kennedys cassette in here somewhere."

"Dead _what_?" Roxas looked at Demyx questioningly a moment before shrugging. "Never mind, it's not important. We can talk. We should get to know each other if we're going to be living together for the next few months."

"Uh… _We're_ not living together. You and my mom are living together. I'm moving out." Demyx gave up on his search for his cassette and returned his eyes to the road. "Hollywood baby!"

"You're not moving out because of me, are you?" Roxas looked at Demyx worriedly. "I don't mind sleeping on the couch. I don't want to take your room."

"Naw, it's not even that. I'm twenty-two years old. It's about damned time I moved out. I've been waiting to find the right place and a buddy of mine just kicked his girlfriend out so he's got space in his apartment." Demyx snickered. "Bout time he got rid of that prissy bitch anyhow. So I've been slowly moving my shit into his place. I have a few things left and whatever I don't take is yours for the keeping. That includes the bed. I'm probably just gonna crash on his couch."

"Oh." Roxas looked down discouraged. "So I probably won't see much of you then."

Demyx smirked and glanced at Roxas. "Look kid, if you wanna hang out with me that's fine. I don't give a shit… Just man up and say it."

"Well, it would be nice to have somebody to hang out with this summer." Roxas smiled eagerly and nodded. "Yeah, I want to hang out with you."

"Alright. That's all you needed to say. But I'm warning you, I don't have the nicest friends in the world. Some of them are cool but most of them are dicks. I ain't gonna tell you how to dress and whatnot. Fuck that conformist shit! But fair warning, some of these guys are gonna bust your balls for wearing the kind of shit you got on now. And that ain't the only thing they'll give you shit about. You'll get hell for just about everything they can find wrong about you. Makes them feel better about all the things wrong with themselves, and believe me, there's plenty wrong with each of them. But as long as you can learn to take it and dish it back you'll be fine." Demyx smiled. "So what do you say? Let's drop your shit off at mom's and then head out to Hollywood to catch a show."

"A show?" Roxas cocked an eyebrow at Demyx curiously. "A movie?"

"A movie!? Hell no! A show! A concert! You know, music!" Demyx smiled. "There's a local band playing tonight… Black Flag. They fucking rock and I heard a rumor that tonight is the last time Dez Cadena is gonna sing on the West coast. Then they're headed for the East coast and after that he wants to play guitar. Man, I don't know what the fuck they're gonna do without him on vocals."

Roxas nodded slowly and pretended to understand everything Demyx told him. As they exited the freeway and headed into a residential area Roxas learned many interesting facts about bands Demyx was a fan of and where this motion he called "Punk Rock" originated. Apparently it had started with The Ramones in 1974, the very music they had been listening to earlier. It also was apparently split into sub divisions of which Demyx had a lot to say about each.

There was Punk… Plain punk which was simple yet powerful. It was music that stood against what society grasped as normal and reached out with a vision of what life was truly like. There was Hardcore Punk… It was an in your face, abrasive movement with a "Fuck you" attitude and an anti-conformist style. It too was split into two divisions of "Hollywood Punk" and "Beach Punk" which Demyx informed Roxas was more of an idiotic territorial struggle than anything else. Then there was British Punk which Demyx frowned upon heavily. He was, as he called himself, a Punk Purist and had little tolerance for the few bands that he named such as The Clash and The Sex Pistols claiming they were in it for the fashion and money and had no idea what the punk lifestyle was truly about. Demyx backed up this argument with the fact that Sid Vicious, supposed bassist for The Sex Pistols couldn't play bass "worth a shit" and was only in the band for looks while other musicians picked up Sid's slack in the studio on the actual albums. This was, as Demyx called it, a deathblow to punk lifestyle as they knew it. Then there was a sub genre called "New Wave" which Demyx seemed to dislike with just as much fervor as he did British Punk. It was "Punk for Pussies" as he stated it and instructed Roxas to immediately dispose of the term from his vocabulary all together. Lastly, Demyx told Roxas about Horror Punk which focused on a more morbidly idealistic way of life but still maintained that gritty sound Roxas had grown to like from listening to The Ramones. Demyx told Roxas about The Misfits who had a unique sound all their own. He made a mention of a friend, Axel, who was a huge fan and would fly out of state to see them whenever he had the funds.

It was with all this information swirling in his head that Roxas stepped out of the car as they pulled into the driveway of the quaint little suburbian house he would be living in. He grabbed his bags out of the trunk and followed Demyx up the porch stairs to the door.

"Be quiet now… Mom works nights so she sleeps during the day." Demyx smiled and turned the key in the door. "And believe me… You do not want to wake her up."

Roxas nodded slowly and followed Demyx into the house. He let his cousin lead him up the stairs to his room which was nearly empty save for a bed, a dresser and a few posters on the wall. He dropped his bags just inside the door and smiled. The room was large and had a window overlooking the pool in the backyard. It was bigger than his room back in Oregon and at the thought of his home he remembered he needed to call his parents. "Can I use your phone? I need to call my parents and let them know I made it here safely."

"It's your phone now kid…" Demyx motioned to the phone attached to the jack in the wall. "It's a private line and for a while you'll probably still get some old friends of mine trying to reach me. Just tell them to fuck off." He chuckled and looked at a clock on the wall. "Holy shit, I didn't realize it was so late! Your call home is gonna have to wait. Hurry up, you've gotta change. Put on something you don't mind getting blood on. It's already five-thirty!"

Roxas looked at Demyx questioningly but began digging through his bags until he found an old short sleeve button up dress shirt he had brought for days that he might need clothes that were alright for getting dirty. Along with the shirt he pulled out a pair of khaki pants and quickly dressed as Demyx prodded him to rush. He pulled his shoes back on and began to ask why Demyx was so full of panic but he never received the chance. His cousin gripped his wrist and dragged him down the stairs and into the garage. Inside the garage Roxas saw the most curious looking vehicle in his life. It looked like a motorcycle which Roxas had seen on the freeway only it was much smaller, differently shaped and bright blue. "What is that?"

Demyx turned to look at Roxas after popping open the garage. "That is my pride and joy. I bought this baby back in 1977... It's a Vespa." He smiled and climbed onto his vehicle. "It's an Italian motorcycle. I like it because it's sleek, small enough to park anywhere and I don't have to do much upkeep on it. Now hop on, we gotta go."

Roxas started toward the scooter reluctantly. "Shouldn't I wear a helmet or something?"

"I don't have helmets for it." Demyx laughed lightly. "Could you imagine how hard it would be to fix my hair if I wore a helmet?"

"Well, the wind will…" Roxas sighed and decided against finishing his statement. He knew Demyx wouldn't listen anyhow. He climbed onto the Vespa behind Demyx and gripped his waist as he started the vehicle and pulled out of the garage. He had never been on any form of open vehicle and it terrified him. He looked at his cousin as the boy dismounted and went to close the garage door. "Y-you're not going to go fast, are you?"

"Nah, this baby won't go over forty." He climbed back in front of Roxas. "That's why we have to leave now. We can't go on the freeway so we'll have to take side roads to Hollywood. It'll take a hell of a lot longer but mom would kill me if I ever took her car to a show. Now hold on tight kid…"


	2. Teenagers from Mars

In honor of today's release of 358/2 Days here in the US, I give you all…

CHAPTER 2! Wewt! Lol

Some things I should explain… Now, normally I view Larxene as the ultimate fag hag. I mean, she and Marly were hip and hip most of the time in CoM and I'm sure it won't be much different in 358/2. I NEVER pair her with Marluxia. Ever. But I felt that if ANYONE needed a girlfriend to prove how not gay they were, it would be Marly. So thus, in this story they are dating off and on.

Also, the concerts that they go to are actual concerts that occurred. I'm going to try really hard to not have to make up concerts to fit the story's needs. So for all intensive purposes, you now have that knowledge. Not sure what good it will do you but you have it. Enjoy. :)

It helps with this story also if you have a basic knowledge of Los Angeles and the locations mentioned. The two most important locations are Arcadia (where now Roxas resides) and West Hollywood (where Axel lives). They're quite a distance apart but not too much. Just about an hour or _three_ apart depending on traffic. Lol, j/k LA! I LOVE YOUR TRAFFIC! Ha ha ha! ........ :|

Also, when there is any loud noise going on for the group (and there will be a lot) you'll notice a LOT of exlcamation points!!! They're not actually exlaiming anything!!!!!!!!!! Just shouting over the loud noise!!!! AAAAAAAAAH!!! PUNK ROCK!!!!!!

Lol.

And for informational purposes, ages are as follows:

Marluxia: 19

Larxene:18

Zexion: 23

Lexaeus: 19

Demyx: 22

Axel: 24

Saïx: 17

Roxas: 17

Anyhow, here is the next chapter! ENJOY!

* * *

Larxene blew out a stream of smoke and crossed her arms "Where the fuck is Demyx? He was supposed to be here ten fucking minutes ago!"

"Relax babe…" Marluxia wrapped an arm around Larxene and took a drag from the cigarette she was holding. "He'll be here. He had to go pick up his cousin from the airport and then he said he'd be here."

"Well he better fucking hurry. I'm tired of waiting for his ass." Larxene flicked her cigarette on the ground and stomped on it angrily. "Axel's not fucking here either! God damn it, where the hell is everybody? They make us fucking stand out here and wait for them and then they don't fucking show!"

"Calm down. They'll be here in a while Larxene." Zexion took a drag of his own cigarette and narrowed his eyes on a small vehicle approaching in the distance. He motioned toward it and blew out the smoke he had inhaled. "See? Demyx is already here. You just have to have patience."

"Yeah, well I don't." She grumbled and stormed toward Demyx as he pulled up. "What the fuck Demyx!? You took fucking forever! Everybody is already inside!" Larxene halted in her tracks as she saw a boy sitting behind Demyx wearing a white button up shirt and khaki pants. Her initial reaction was to burst into laughter. "Oh shit! What the fuck, did you stop by a funeral home and kidnap a pallbearer!?"

"Shut it Larxene!" Demyx stepped off his Vespa and turned it off. "This is my cousin Roxas so don't be a bitch." Demyx turned to Roxas and motioned to his friends. "Roxas, these are some of my friends. The tall guy over there is Lexaeus. Don't be afraid, he's probably the nicest guy you'll ever meet. The midget next to him…" Demyx smirked as Zexion quickly flipped him off. "His name is Zexion. He hates everyone so don't take it personally if he doesn't warm up to you right away. Then the one with pink hair is Marluxia, my new roommate. He's probably the craziest person you'll ever meet and trust me, you'll see what I mean later. And then that… That's Larxene, _the _biggest bitch in the world."

Larxene snickered and flipped Demyx off. "Fuck you, we can introduce ourselves." She turned to Roxas and smirked widely. "Don't listen to this twat, I'm not that bad. In fact I'm actually going to let you be seen with me despite what you're wearing."

Roxas stared at Larxene a moment feeling insulted. It was then that his cousin's words from earlier in the day rang in his head. As long as he could take it and dish it back, he would be alright. He smirked and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you…"

Larxene's nostrils flared at the comment and she clenched her fists as Marluxia, Zexion and Demyx burst into laughter. "Fuck you, you little shit!" She grabbed Roxas by his collar and doubled up her fists but felt Marluxia pulling her away.

"Relax Larxene… Shit, can't you take a joke?" Demyx laughed quietly and sighed. "Alright, who are we waiting on now?"

"Axel…" Marluxia glanced at his watch and groaned. "He's probably bringing Saïx with him tonight which means he had to go out to Arcadia first."

"Fuck 'em. He's always late." Demyx motioned for everybody to go inside. "We're not waiting anymore. I want to get in there now…" He started toward the door but stopped noticing Roxas seemed nervous. "It's alright kid. Stick with me and you'll be fine. Come on!" He grabbed Roxas' wrist and pulled him into the building.

Roxas stared in awe at the sight before him. All around were people dressed like Demyx and his friends. There were vibrant hair colors thrashing all around in such a blur that Roxas couldn't quite make out one person from another. The music was loud and abrasive as he expected but it didn't bother him. What did irritate him was the thick cloud of smoke filling the room and causing him to instantly grow light headed. He followed Demyx slowly into the crowd of people, quickly loosing sight of nearly every one of his cousin's friends. He tried his hardest to keep Demyx in his sight amongst the sea of black writhing forms. He allowed his cousin to lead him into the center of the sea where a rather large open circle lay. In the circle were people throwing themselves against each other violently. Roxas was shocked to see Larxene within the circle throwing fists into the faces of several men and taking hits herself. Even Zexion, the small boy who had been seemingly mellow minutes earlier was now in the circle pushing people down left and right. Roxas looked nervously to Demyx who had a bright smile on his face. "I don't want to go in there!"

"Don't worry!" Demyx cracked his neck and shoved Roxas against Lexaeus who stood only a few feet away. "You stay with Lex! I'm going in!"

"What!?" Roxas reached out to grab his cousin's arm but missed. "Demyx!"

"Don't worry!" Lexaeus smiled down at Roxas. "He can handle himself!"

Roxas looked up at Lexaeus curiously. "Why aren't you in there!?"

Lexaeus smiled. "I'm so big! I don't want to hurt anybody!"

"Oh… I see!" Roxas nodded slowly and smiled. Already he liked Lexaeus. He seemed kind hearted despite his frightening appearance, just like Demyx said. He wondered if all the others were really how Demyx described them. At that very moment he felt something fall on top of him. He struggled to hold it up but didn't succeed and quickly collapsed beneath it. He felt hands under his armpits pulling him up and he noticed as Lexaeus helped him regain his footing that what had fallen on top of him was Marluxia. He reached down and grabbed Marluxia's hand to pull him up. "Are you alright!?"

"Never better!" Marluxia grabbed Roxas' hand and pulled himself up. "What about you!?"

"I'm fine! I…" Roxas paused as he spotted a split on the side of Marluxia's head where a trail of blood trickled down. "You're bleeding!"

"Eh?" Marluxia felt his wound and chuckled. "Just flesh and blood! No big deal!" He stepped past Roxas and started into the pit but stopped and looked back at the boy. "Why aren't you in the pit!?"

"Demyx told me to stay here!" Roxas shuffled his feet nervously. "I should probably listen to him!"

"Ah, fuck him!" Marluxia smirked and grabbed Roxas by his shirt. "You gotta grow up some time!"

"Marluxia!" Lexaeus shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea!"

"Ah, come on Lexaeus! He'll be fine!" Marluxia nodded eagerly. "He'll be fine! I'll keep him with me!"

Roxas held his breath and looked at Lexaeus nervously hoping the man would say no but he only nodded his head quickly. Before Roxas could protest he felt Marluxia pull him into the pit of violent bodies. He clung desperately to Marluxia's arm as the man lead him around throwing his fist and feet in the air chaotically. After the initial wave of shock and fear faded Roxas began to feel suddenly very alive. His heart quickened with his breath and he slowly loosened his hold on Marluxia's arm. He didn't quite understand what it was about his current situation but he was enjoying himself far more than he ever had in his entire life. He smiled brightly and released his grip on Marluxia all together. The man slipped out of his line of sight but Roxas didn't panic. He knew all he had to do was stay calm and enjoy himself. He felt someone push him forward so he turned around and shoved back but as he did he heard someone yell out the word "faggot" before he received a punch in the face. He fell instantly to the floor and cringed as heavy boots stomped all around him. He struggled to get up but felt a boot crushing his chest. It was likely the same person who had yelled at him and hit him because he vaguely heard the man yelling profanities at him and claiming "his kind" wasn't wanted there. Just then he heard more curse words and what sounded like a growing argument just above him. Roxas felt himself being lifted off the floor and carried out of harms way by a man screaming something about "pit courtesy." His vision was blurred but as they drew away from the crowd he could see more clearly the man who had helped him. He was tall with bright red hair and two peculiar tattoos on his face that reminded Roxas of a clown. His pants were just as torn and ragged as Demyx's and he wore a similar jacket. The studs on his jacket however were not nearly as dangerous looking as Demyx's. A ghoulish face stared at Roxas from the man's shirt that seemed somewhat familiar to him but he couldn't quite place the image.

Axel sat Roxas down on a chair and looked him over. "You alright kid!?"

Roxas looked up at the man before him and nodded slowly. His vision was still very blurry and his whole face was throbbing in pain, especially his lip. "What's wrong with my face?"

Axel struggled to hear over the music but he was somewhat able to read Roxas' lips. "You got punched! Hard too! You're lucky the fucker didn't pop your teeth out!" Axel smirked and stared down at the boy before him. "What's your name kid and what the hell are you doing here!?"

"Roxas!" Demyx pushed Axel aside and grabbed his cousin's shoulders. "What the hell were you thinking!? Do you know what my mom would do to me if she saw you like this!?"

Roxas smiled with bloodied teeth and shrugged.

"You can't go home looking like that!" Demyx sighed and looked around. "Where is Lexaeus!? I'm gonna kill him!"

"Relax." Roxas looked up at Demyx and tried to stand but quickly found he had to sit back down. "I wanted to go! And I would have been fine if I had been wearing different clothes I think!" Roxas looked down at his shirt which indeed had blood on it. He smirked and wiped his mouth clean on the bottom of the shirt. The music suddenly ended abruptly as the band finished their set and began to make room for the next band. It was then that Roxas realized how much his head was truly throbbing. He winced lightly and looked up at Demyx. "I'll just have to keep that in mind for next time."

"There ain't gonna be a next time!" Demyx crossed his arms and stared down at Roxas but his cousin only stared back defiantly. It was the same look he knew that he had given his father when he went to get his first tattoo. He knew he couldn't stop Roxas and he didn't want to argue so he changed the subject. "How are you feeling?"

"Alive." Roxas took in a deep breath and looked at Axel who stood watching curiously from a few feet behind Demyx. "You know that guy?"

Demyx glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Yeah, I know that faggot."

"Shut it." Axel stepped forward and gripped Roxas' hand. "The name's Axel. You must be Demyx's cousin. Roxas, right? I heard you were coming to LA for a while. Demyx didn't say anything about you hanging out with us."

"That's because it was unexpected." Demyx looked from Axel back to Roxas and shook his head with a heavy sigh. "I swear kid, you look like hell. I can't take you home tonight. I'll have to ask Marluxia if you can crash at his place tonight."

"He can stay at my place." Axel looked from Roxas to Demyx and back again. "I don't mind if it'll keep you outta trouble."

"Thanks but no." Demyx shook his head. "Your mom is gonna come over in the middle of the night throwing a tantrum looking for Saïx like she always does. And as soon as she sees Roxas, you know her, she'll be asking for some form of id and when she finds out he's not eighteen she'll be calling all sorts of authorities. Nobody needs that shit man."

"I didn't bring Saïx tonight. He's visiting my dad for the next few months." Axel shrugged. "Up to you man. You can both crash at my place if you don't feel comfortable leaving him alone with me."

"It's not even that Axel." Demyx sighed and shook his head. "Why do you have to say it like I'm being like _that_? I told you. I don't fucking care. I just think that Roxas might feel more comfortable at Marluxia's. I mean, he's known him at least a bit longer than he's known you and… I don't know."

"It really doesn't matter to me either way." Roxas looked between the two and shrugged. "Whichever place is bigger is probably better."

"Then my place it is." Axel helped Roxas up slowly. "Come on, let's go get you some ice on that busted lip."

"Wait!" Demyx groaned and looked back at the stage where Black Flag was getting set up. "I don't wanna leave yet. Do you realize this is the last chance we have to watch Dez Cadena sing?"

"Stay." Axel smiled brightly. "I'll take good care of the kid."

Demyx bit his lip and shook his head. "I don't think that…"

"It's fine Demyx! Stay." Roxas chuckled and shook his head. "You were talking about this all day. I know you were excited. I can take care of myself. Now go so you can tell us what it was like."

Demyx stared at Roxas a moment before nodding slowly. He turned his gaze to Axel and furrowed his brow. "Don't make me fucking regret this man."

Axel growled. "I won't." He turned away from Demyx and motioned for Roxas to follow him. "Come on, this way." He lead the boy out into the parking lot and kicked a rock in his path as he made his way to his motorcycle.

"I-if you don't mind me asking, what just happened back there? I thought you and Demyx were friends but there seemed to be a little bit of hostility between you." Roxas froze as Axel stopped and glanced back at him.

"It's a really long story." Axel turned his attention forward again. "A story for later."

"Alright." Roxas continued after Axel as they approached a beaten up motorcycle. He watched Axel climb on and he quickly mounted behind him. "Will this thing get us to your place in one piece?"

Axel smirked at Roxas from over his shoulder. "She's in better condition than she looks. Just because she isn't beautiful on the outside doesn't mean she isn't beautiful on the inside. I fixed her up myself." He started up the bike and revved the engine. "You hear that? Beautiful."

Roxas smiled and nodded. "I suppose it sounds right. I don't know much about motorcycles." He gripped Axel's waist as the man pulled out of the parking lot and rocketed down the street. Being on the motorcycle was much different than being on Demyx's Vespa. The Vespa was limited to a certain speed but Axel's motorcycle seemed like it could break the sound barrier if he so willed it. Roxas wrapped his arms completely around Axel's waist and clung on for dear life. He was certain they were going to die.


	3. Bullet

Oh crap! CHAPTER THREE! Hooray!

Man, I am trying to be good about writing this as often as possible but I'll level with you guys… I haven't been too good at that. I'm trying to balance my time between writing this before and after work, playing 358/2 days on the weekend (which is the ONLY time I am allowing myself to play it, otherwise this story would be on the backburner in a major way) and then because I'm recently addicted to Magical Angel Creamy Mami, (which I stumbled upon in that happy accident sort of way) I'm trying to work that into my schedule as well.

And I'm trying to stay ahead a few chapters before I post them which I usually fail at but I'm really gonna try this time guys!

Anyway, this chapter is super cute! Roxas and Axel get to know each other. Now the story can really start! Hope you enjoy!

Also, disclaimer! I don't condone under aged drinking… Blah blah blah. Alcohol and cigarettes are bad for you. Don't ever drink or smoke cause both will kill you the first time you try them so stay in school cause school is cool… Yadda yadda yadda.

:| (srs face)

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Axel offered a pack of cigarettes in Roxas' direction. "You smoke?"

"Oh…" Roxas curled his nose and shook his head. "No thanks."

"That's good. It's a bad habit." Axel put the pack aside and leaned back on his couch. "I don't either but I always keep a pack around for friends that do."

Roxas nodded slowly. "That's really nice of you."

Axel chuckled and shook his head. "Nice? Wow kid, you really are a little goody two-shoes aren't you?"

Roxas looked at Axel offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Axel smiled and popped his knuckles. "I can tell a lot about you just by listening to you talk. You were always told to say something polite, even if you didn't like the person you had to say something polite to. Am I right?"

Roxas nodded slowly. "Well, it's rude to talk like a…"

"A punk?" Axel smirked and leaned forward. "The only thing ruder than a person like me is a person who doesn't speak their mind. They have all these bad thoughts swelling around in their head and not voicing them is pretty much like telling a lie, you get me?"

"I never thought of it that way before." Roxas nodded to himself in thought. "I guess you're right. It's probably better to speak your mind than let it boil up inside. I always used to do that and I hated the way it made me feel. You know, my whole life I never truly lived for me. I always did what my parents wanted me to do. They wanted me to get good grades. They wanted me to continue my education at Catholic schools. I didn't want any of that! For once I just wanted to be… To be…" Roxas looked to Axel and shrugged. "Well, normal." He shook his head and laughed lightly. "It's so stupid! I mean, when I was thirteen I had a best friend that I did everything with. I mean _everything_. If there was trouble to be started or messes to be made we were there. He lived next door and attended the public schools. I thought he was so cool, so of course my parents were already wary of him. And then my parents found out he was Jewish. They didn't want to derail my Catholic teachings so I couldn't be friends with him anymore, just like that. And to this day I wish I had stood up and said something because that kid was the only friend I ever really had. I didn't care that he was Jewish! But he was my friend and I let go of that just to please my parents."

"There are some things we can't change that our parents will never forgive us for." Axel looked down at the floor and sighed. "I did something back when I was in high school that my mother still will not let go. That's why I'm here. I mean, I'm twenty-four. I would have moved out eventually. But it happened a lot sooner than it should have. My mom didn't just kick me out of the house. She kicked me out of Arcadia."

Roxas looked at Axel in question. "How did she stop you from moving into a house in Arcadia?"

"Simple. She's a real-estate agent… Told all her colleagues about me and I was pretty much black listed." Axel took a sip of the beer in his hand and sighed. "Gotta love my old lady."

Roxas looked at Axel sadly. "What did you do to make her so angry?"

"It's a long story." Axel stood and started toward the kitchen. "You sure you don't want a beer or something?"

"I'm fine." Roxas watched Axel curiously from his perch on the couch and fiddled with his fingers. He was already growing fond of Axel but the man's unwillingness to share his past was annoying to Roxas. He made a mental note to ask Demyx later and decided to change the subject. "So… It's weird but that face on your shirt looks so familiar."

Axel glanced down at his shirt and smiled. "The Crimson Ghost looks familiar to you? Now that _is_ weird."

"The Crimson Ghost!? Oh, no way! Now I remember!" Roxas sat up excitedly and stared at Axel. "I didn't know they made merchandise for that movie!"

"Wait…" Axel cocked an eyebrow and looked at Roxas dumbfounded. "You mean they really did get the face from a movie? I had heard that but I thought it was bull shit. And you're telling me you've actually seen it?"

Roxas nodded excitedly. "It's one of my favorite serials!"

"Cereal?" Axel tilted his head to one side trying to make sense of the conversation stream. "They made it into cereal too?"

"No!" Roxas laughed and shook his head. "Not cereal! _A_ _serial_. You know, like a movie serial. Back when they first had movie theatres they would show all kinds of reels. News reels, cartoon reels. They also showed movie serial reels. A movie serial was basically a full length movie that was divided up into parts designed to make the audience come back for more. I got to see a bunch of movies like that at a local theatre in Salem that showed old movie serials every Monday night during the Summer including The Crimson Ghost. It was compiled all together of course but…"

"I can't believe it! You have no idea of the significance of that, do you?" Axel plopped down on the couch and stared at Roxas in awe. "The Misfits are my favorite band. Ever. They took this face from that movie to use as their emblem! That's so insane."

"The Misfits… The Misfits…" Roxas thought a moment before recalling his conversation with Demyx earlier in the day. "Oh yeah! The Misfits! Horror Punk! You…" Roxas looked at Axel as realization dawned upon him. "You're the one that flies out of state to see them! You're a really big fan!"

Axel chuckled and nodded. "Exactly. You know a lot more than you let on. So tell me, what else did Demyx say about me?"

"Not much." Roxas shrugged. "Just that you love The Misfit's a lot. It's weird, I like music but I can't see spending that kind of money to fly out of the state to go to a concert for one night. I'm sure they have a great sound but really, where's the economic benefit in doing that sort of thing?"

"Economic benefit?" Axel chuckled. "Shit kid, haven't you ever heard of doing something just because you wanted to or because it felt right? Not everything has to have a purpose or a benefit. There's a line between business and fun and you have to separate the two the best you can." He let out a frustrated sigh and grabbed Roxas' wrist. "Come on, you're going to come with me."

Roxas stood with Axel hesitantly as the older man dragged him toward a hallway to his bedroom. "Where are we going?"

"You're going to listen to The Misfits. Once you understand about them you'll understand why I spend my money going to see them." He lead Roxas into his bedroom and bolted instantly for his record collection. He pulled out a record case that had a picture of John F. Kennedy with a blood splatter behind his head on the cover and handed it to Roxas. "This is their first EP. Bullet."

"It's…" Roxas stared at the cover art mortified. "It's horrible!"

"I know." Axel smiled and took the record out of it's cover. "Isn't it great? Here, have a listen. It'll change your mind. There's this song on here that reminds me of your cousin." He flipped the record onto Side B and put it on the record player. He smiled deviously at Roxas and placed the needle onto the spinning disc. After a moment music began blaring from the speakers followed by Glenn Danzig's guttural voice wailing his lyrics. "This song is called "Attitude." Perfect, isn't it? It describes my relationship with your cousin perfectly. Of course it reminds me of Larxene too, and Marluxia sometimes." He chuckled lightly. "Well I guess it reminds me of all my friends when they get to running their mouths."

Roxas listened to the lyrics patiently and after a moment a smile bubbled onto his face. "You're right. It does remind me of Larxene." Roxas laughed lightly. "I really like the sound."

Axel smiled. "I knew you would. Nobody can dislike The Misfits!" He sighed as the song came to an end. "This next song is called "Hollywood Babylon." I don't like it nearly as much as "Attitude" but it's still good." He took the record and flipped it over immediately. "But the song I really want you to hear is "Bullet." If you thought the cover art was horrible then you'll love the song." He put the needle on the record and let the music start. He watched Roxas with interest as the boy began to tap his foot to the beat. It seemed that despite the shocking lyrics that probably offended him, Roxas genuinely enjoyed the song. Axel smiled and leaned against the wall watching Roxas with interest. The light in the boy's eyes reminded him of the first time he had listened to The Misfits. He knew the elicit joy of hearing something so brash and shocking and enjoying it. It almost felt wrong in a way, but that was what made it such a powerful and thrilling experience. After the record was over he put on another and flopped down on his bed. "I fucking love The Misfits."

Roxas nodded slowly. "Yeah, I…" He took a deep breath and looked at Axel. "I really fucking like this music."

Axel chuckled and sat up. "Oh, did the little Catholic school boy just use a curse word?"

"Yeah. I did." Roxas laughed lightly. "But you know what? It felt really good!"

"It feels good to let loose every once in a while." Axel smirked widely. "You just stick with me and Demyx and we'll show you how to let loose and have a real good time." He stood slowly and stretched for a moment and then turned toward the door. "I'm gonna go get another beer. You want one?"

Roxas stood silently for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll have a beer."

"Great." Axel smiled and started down the hall. He made his way into the kitchen and grabbed two beers from the refrigerator. There was a knock at his door so he quickly put the beers down and rushed to open it. On the other side of the door Demyx was waiting impatiently.

"What took you so long?" Demyx stepped into the house and looked around. "Where's Roxas?"

Axel rolled his eyes and shut the door behind Demyx. "He's in my room."

"What!?" Demyx spun around and threw an accusing finger in Axel's chest. "I swear Axel, I'll fucking kill you if…"

"Relax." Axel glared at Demyx and stepped back into the kitchen to grab the beers he had set down only moments earlier. "We were listening to music. That's all."

"That had better be all." Demyx lowered his hand and smiled lightly. "You know you're my best friend but I promised my mom I'd keep an eye on the kid and I could just imagine what would happen if his rich ass, holier than thou parents got word of _anything_ they didn't like. You'd find yourself with a law suit shoved so far up your ass you'd have to pull it out of your mouth."

"He's his own person Demyx." Axel sighed and popped open one of the beers. "They can't control him forever."

Demyx stared hard at Axel and shook his head. "No but they sure as hell can for the next month and a half. He's still seventeen you know."

"Yeah, I know." He groaned lightly and took a drink of his beer. "You already told me that once tonight. I've got it. But look, I like the kid and I'm not going to just let his parents or his upbringing stop me from having a friendship with him, got it?"

"Do whatever the hell you want Axel." Demyx crossed his arms and sighed. "Just… Wait until he's eighteen, alright? And don't force it. If things don't progress naturally then don't do anything."

"Don't lecture me like I'm some kind of child. I appreciate that you're being cool about this considering he's your cousin but I'm not stupid, alright? Just let me fucking handle this." He grumbled lightly and motioned for Demyx to follow. "Come on, I've got him listening to The Misfits."

Demyx smiled lightly. "Does he like 'em?"

Axel cast a sly smirk over his shoulder. "He likes them as much as I like him."


	4. Attitude

Ah, and here we are at chapter four! Its odd but for some reason I am having a hard time keeping these upcoming chapters on the short side. This one is fairly long. I guess it will be like that for a while because Roxas' first few days in LA are critical. Its where he experiences new things and has a complete awakening into the real world from his sheltered little life so it is important to show all that. He is very impressionable at this point and I LOVE IT!

This chapter is long. Like whoa. But I like it even though it is pretty uneventful. There IS a slight scene that you could possibly consider smut but it is so minute that I'm not going to bother giving a warning, especially because it only involves one character and its so short.

Anyway, this chapter is long. I said this already. But yes, it's long and awkward and cute! Enjoy!

* * *

Roxas awoke early the next morning with a splitting headache. He had been under the assumption that when he and Demyx were going to sleep over at Axel's they would actually be doing some sleeping. This idea was quickly shot down however when they spent a good portion of the night drinking and watching old horror movies. Demyx had been the first to fall asleep and he had soon slipped from his spot on the couch to the floor and curled up into the fetal position. Axel had been quick to follow in slumber and Roxas was unsure what time he himself had fallen into a drunken sleep. He knew however that it was late because the last time he remembered seeing on the clock either read 3:36 or 6:33 but everything was spinning so much he couldn't tell which. He made an effort to sit up but he was soon hindered by two things. The first was his throbbing headache urging him to lay back down and cover his eyes. The second however was a much more alarming issue that he was uncertain how to deal with. Something, no, _someone_ was pinning him to the couch. He managed to open one eye without it terribly irritating his migraine and peer down at his chest. Axel lay sprawled across him and the couch, spiky red head laying snuggly against his chest. It was then that Roxas noticed the incredibly uncomfortable sensation below Axel's face. It was cold. Horribly cold and wet. It was a drool spot and it was causing his shirt to cling to his skin. His lip curled in immediate disgust but he was in too much pain to do anything about it. Instead he nudged Axel lightly. "Axel, wake up."

Axel groaned at hearing his name being spoken. He opened an eye and winced as instant pain filled his skull. "It's too damn early."

Roxas chuckled and shifted a bit beneath the heavy man. "You're drooling on me."

"Huh?" Axel pushed himself up and blinked a few times to clear his vision. Finally Roxas came into focus and he looked down at the boy dumfounded. "W-wait… What?"

"Drool." Roxas let out a noise of relief when Axel pushed off of him and instantly went for his buttons. He tugged at the fabric and tore the shirt loose from his body. "You drooled on me. It's cold and wet and sticky!"

"Oh. I'm uh… I'm sorry." Axel rubbed his face trying to clear his head of all the fog. "What time is it?"

Roxas covered his eyes with his arm and sighed. "I don't know but I feel terrible."

"That means it's too early." Axel laid back down and rested his head against Roxas' chest again. "I'm going back to sleep."

Roxas opened his mouth to protest but stopped and let his arm fall across Axel's neck and into his hair. "Just don't drool on me again."

Axel nodded and mumbled a response that he was certain fell on deaf ears but as his mind began to clear of the fog inducing hangover everything that had just occurred began to register in his mind. He shot up and stared down at the boy before him who lay shirtless and sprawled on the couch.

Roxas' eyes fluttered open at the swift movements of the man above him. The petrified look on his face caused Roxas to panic. "What happened? A spider!?" He bolted up and his head regretfully collided with Axel's. They both seethed quietly, Roxas still trying to make his way off the couch for fear of what might be crawling around on it. He tripped over Demyx who lay snoring on the floor and fell face first into Axel's bulging groin. His eyes met with the redhead's and a large blush flooded his cheeks.

Axel stared down at Roxas wide eyed. Neither two moved for a long time before Axel finally had to get away. He jumped to his feet and rushed to the bathroom. He couldn't unzip his pants fast enough, pressure building up dangerously behind the denim as he flicked on the light. Nothing complimented a morning hard on quite like sexual desire. He stood there at the bathroom sink pumping himself as fast as he could. Finally he felt the release he needed and he let out a heavy sigh. "God damn…" He tucked himself back into his pants and stared into the mirror. "Come on Axel, chill out. It was an accident. He isn't into guys, let it go. Let it go." He turned on the water to clean out the sink and wash his face when he heard a knock on the door. "Y-yeah?"

Roxas stood timidly on the other side of the door staring at the carpet below his feet. "Uhm, Axel?" Roxas was startled when the door opened suddenly. He looked up at Axel nervously and wrung his hands together. "I'm sorry, that was really awkward. I'm a real klutz sometimes."

Axel forced a chuckle and shrugged. "Nah, no big deal."

Roxas shook his head. "No, it was a big deal because you rushed in here so fast and your face is so pale. I'm sure it was embarrassing for you too and I'm sorry."

"No. I just needed to throw up. That's all. Too much alcohol, you know." Axel smiled and ran a hand through his hair, attempting to play off the importance of it. "Now I just need to wash my face."

"Oh. Ok. Hey, do you mind if I take a shower?" Roxas looked longingly at the tiled section of the bathroom. "I'm sweaty and sticky and I really just want a nice long shower."

Axel groaned inwardly and turned away from Roxas to wash his face vigorously. "Sure thing kid, just give me a second and I'll be out of your way." Axel cupped the cool water in his hands and brought it to his face in an effort to snap himself out of this lust driven daze. He reached for a cloth on the counter and began patting his face dry. "Towels are in the cupboard above the toilet and…" He froze as he turned to see Roxas stripping out of his boxers. His eyes fell along the boy's supple body and he was thankful it was too soon for another erection to grow. "Well, not exactly the modest type, eh?"

Roxas looked down at himself and blushed lightly. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't realize that was wrong here. Back in high school in Oregon we all just changed out in front of each other for Phys. Ed. and football and stuff. I guess I just assumed it was normal everywhere."

Axel chuckled. "No, you're right. It is. I'm sorry, I'm just a bit… Well, I'm all fucked up still so I guess I'm just not thinking clearly. Don't be embarrassed. You certainly have nothing to be embarrassed about with a body like that."

The blush on Roxas' face grew deeper though he was uncertain why. It was just innocent words but it sparked something inside him that made his heart pound. "Uhm, thanks." His eyes met with Axel's for a moment before the older man half rushed, half tripped out of the bathroom. He then climbed into the shower and turned on the water letting the cool beedlets drop over his body.

He couldn't shake Axel's words from his mind.

After the shower he entered the living room to find Demyx awake and ready to leave. The thought of leaving so soon left him a bit discouraged but he shrugged and decided it was probably best. The redhead led the two to the door and Roxas smiled as he reached for Axel's hand to shake it. "Thank you for letting me stay here last night. And thanks for helping me off the ground at the concert. Oh, and thanks for introducing me to The Misfits."

Axel chuckled as he shook Roxas' hand and nodded. "Sure thing kid, no problem. Now don't go getting yourself and your cousin into anymore trouble."

Roxas smiled sheepishly and put a finger to his still swollen lip. "Yeah, no kidding. I'll have to be more careful next time."

"Whoa, next time huh?" Axel snickered and turned his gaze from Roxas to Demyx who stood a few feet away, arms crossed and clearly ready to leave. "Hear that Dem? Your cousin thinks he's gonna have another go around in the pit!"

Demyx glanced to Roxas and rolled his eyes. "Not if I have a say. I still need to kick Lex's ass for letting the little shit go in the first place. You just better pray that heals before mom sees it or she'll flip on both of us. Now come on, let's get going."

"Alright." Roxas looked to Axel and grinned. "So, I guess I'll see you around. It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Yeah…" Axel's smile faded slowly as Roxas gave a wave and started off. "Yeah it was. I'll talk to you later Dem!"

"Yeah yeah!" Demyx waved Axel off as they walked toward his parked Vespa. He waited until they were out of earshot of his friend before he spoke to Roxas. "So, Rox… Anything interesting happen last night? Or anything strange maybe? You can tell me anything, even if Axel told you not to. I won't be mad."

Roxas paused in thought. "No, nothing really out of the ordinary I don't think. Though, Axel did mention his mom kicking him out of Arcadia for some reason but he wouldn't say what. Do you know why?"

"Yeah but it's a long story. And not a very entertaining one. You wouldn't be interested." Demyx climbed onto his Vespa and started the engine before Roxas could board.

Roxas looked to Demyx curiously. "You seem like you're in a bad mood. Why?"

Demyx huffed and looked sternly at Roxas. "It's no big deal. Just get on so I can take you home."

Roxas sighed and climbed onto the back of the Vespa. Something was definitely going on between Axel and Demyx that neither one of them wanted to talk about. On the surface they appeared to be friends but even then, Roxas could pick up on a bit of hostility coming from Demyx. Axel however seemed completely passive toward Demyx which led Roxas to believe that perhaps Axel was the one who felt in the wrong and had done something to anger Demyx. He tried to think back to the previous night and how Demyx interacted with everyone else. It was true, all of Demyx's friends were a bit abrasive and Demyx returned their attitude but it was nothing like he gave Axel. When they came to a stop at a light Roxas leaned forward and looked at his cousin's face. "You and Axel are friends, right?"

Demyx shot a glance at Roxas. "You're awfully curious this morning."

Roxas shrugged. "I'm just wondering, that's all. You seem like friends, but then you don't."

"We _are_ friends. We've been friends since we were in High School. I met him when I was a Freshman and he was a Junior at Arcadia High." Demyx sighed and nudged Roxas to sit back as the light turned green. He raised his voice to speak over the sound of the engine and the wind going by. "Zexion introduced him to me when my parents were getting a divorce! I was taking it hard and Axel had already gone through it so Zexion figured he could help talk me through it! Something clicked and we became best friends! Have been ever since!"

"Oh!" Roxas nodded slowly but something still didn't register in his brain. "Well then why do I sense a lot of hostility!?"

Demyx grumbled as they came to another red light. His cousin was asking far too many questions for his comfort. There were certain details about things that Demyx would rather keep hidden for the time being. Axel had a knack for attracting trouble and he always felt like he was trying to deflect it for his friend. And for Axel, Roxas was trouble with a capital T-R-O-U-B-L-E thanks to the current circumstances. Demyx had watched how just about everyone important in Axel's life had hurt him and the last thing he wanted was to see something else bad happen to him. "Look, Axel and I just have little arguments every once in a while."

Roxas leaned forward to look at Demyx again. "Well, when people have arguments don't they normally try to avoid each other? That way they don't hurt each other's feelings."

"Kid, listen." Demyx forced Roxas' head back and growled. "When I want you're psychological advice I'll ask for it, ok? Mine and Axel's relationship is what it is. That's how things have always been and it works for us. Quit asking so many damn questions."

Roxas sighed and nodded. He knew there was more that Demyx was withholding and if he wasn't going to share it, Roxas would just have to find out for himself just what it was. He rode in silence the rest of the way to his new home and then parted ways with Demyx. As soon as he reached the stairs he rushed up to his new room and grabbed for the phone, but calling home was the last thing on his mind.

Roxas knew somewhere near the phone had to be a list of his friends phone numbers. Demyx likely didn't bother to memorize them which meant there had to be a place he kept them. As Roxas palmed the receiver he spotted just what he was looking for. Most phones had a little square piece of plastic under the receiver that could hold a tiny piece of paper. Roxas' parents had used it on their own phone for emergency numbers, the priest of their church being at the top of that "emergency" list. It was here on Demyx's phone that Roxas found a list of letters; A, Z, L, M, S and Mom. All had a phone number beside them. He had to assume that the letters signified the person's first name. For some strange reason, his heart skipped a beat when he gazed upon the letter A. Slowly he punched in the first number, Axel's, and placed the receiver to his ear. But there was no ring on the other side. Only the busy signal. Disheartened, he hung up and let out a hefty sigh. "Maybe I shouldn't be so nosey." Nodding to himself, Roxas had resolved to just lay down and try to get some more sleep. He scuffled over to the mattress and flopped down letting his eyes flutter shut.

Then the phone rang…

He shot for it as fast as he could, tripping over the luggage he'd left there the previous day. He struggled to stand before finally capturing the receiver in his hand on the third ring. He slammed it against his ear and answered breathlessly. "Hello?"

"_Ha, hey. This is Roxas, right?"_

Axel's voice on the other side of the line. Why did it make his pulse quicken? "Uhm, yeah! Hi."

"_Hope I wasn't interrupting anything important. I tried calling just a minute ago but the line was busy. Oh, this is Axel. Probably should have mentioned that earlier."_

Roxas chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I know. I recognize your voice." There was a long pause.

"_Really?"_

Roxas nodded, which was foolish because Axel couldn't see him. "Yeah. You've got a pretty distinct voice."

"_Yeah. I guess I do. Ha ha. So, what are you up to?"_

Roxas shrugged, another silly habit. "Well not that much. I was just going to go back to sleep. I'm still a little tired from last night. I usually don't ever stay up past ten, let alone how late we stayed up."

"_Oh. Well I can let you go then…"_

"No! It's fine." Roxas smiled to himself. "I was just going to do that because I was bored. I should actually probably be unpacking but that's something I can do while I'm on the phone with you."

"_Cool. So, did Demyx say anything to you?"_

Bingo. Roxas new something was up. He wasn't able to get it out of his cousin but perhaps he could entice it out of Axel. He picked up his first bag from the floor and sat it on top of the dresser beside the phone. "Well, he didn't say much. I asked him why he seemed so hostile toward you. He pretty much told me to mind my own business. But he did say that you were best friends."

"_Yeah, we've got a lot of history. We went and got our first ink together and everything. We've always been really close. But sometimes we have disagreements. All friends do."_

Roxas scowled as he picked up a shirt and refolded it before putting it in an open drawer. That was not what he wanted to hear. He wanted Axel to gush about whatever their problem was. Not give him the same auto-response that Demyx did. "Well, what were you guys disagreeing about?" Another long pause.

"_It's kind of a long story."_

A long story. Why was that becoming a theme with those two? "Well, I have the time."

"_If I could tell you I would. But I don't think Demyx wants you to know. It's nothing personal. I don't see it as such big deal but apparently Dem does and I guess he's just worried about you in his own little way. It's kinda sweet if you think of it that way Roxy."_

"Worried about me? What does it have to do with…" Roxas paused. "Wait, did you call me Roxy?"

"_Ha ha! Yeah. Everybody has a nickname around here. If you're going to be a friend of ours you'll have to put up with a lot more than just that. I figure Roxy is the kindest nickname I could give ya."_

"A friend?" Roxas couldn't help but smile at the word. "You think I can be friends with you all?"

"_Well you're going to be here all Summer. And I don't imagine hanging out with your aunt is at the top of your list of fun ideas."_

"Well, I guess not." Roxas picked up another shirt and refolded it. "Of course I didn't exactly expect this trip to be full of fun and games from the start."

"_Oh! Speaking of fun and games, you should come with us tonight!"_

"Come with you?" Roxas sat the shirt down feeling intrigued. "Where are you going?"

"_We're going to Santa Monica. You ever heard of it?"_

Roxas thought quietly a moment and then nodded to nobody in particular. "Isn't that the place with the pier?"

"_Yeah and it's going to be lots of fun. It's unlike anything you've ever seen! There's an amusement park right there on the pier and the beach kicks ass at night, especially with the light from the Ferris wheel."_

"Demyx didn't mention anything about it." He sighed a bit discouraged and regained the shirt in his grasp. "I think that means I'm not invited."

"_Bull shit! I invited you. Besides, the beach is public property. He can't stop you from going. I'll pick you up around eight tonight, got it?"_

"Uh, sure thing." Roxas smiled excitedly but before he could say another word he heard a click on the other side and then silence. "Axel? Hello?" Nothing. He hung up. Looking at the clock on the wall caused Roxas to sigh. "Aww, only three o'clock? That's five hours from now. Guess I could sleep…" Without another thought to the still full luggage on the dresser, Roxas flopped back on the bed and shut his eyes. Sleep took him swiftly.


	5. Ghouls Night Out

HOORAH! ANOTHER CHAPTER! And let me tell you, my friends, I have a feeling that this chapter will not leave you disappointed.

Well, maybe a bit but not too terribly.

Things start to get REALLY interesting in the chapter! I won't say much else.

Please enjoy!

* * *

He stood watching him, his slender form curled beautifully in the sheets. Somewhere in his slumber he had discarded his shirt to the floor so his pale flesh was contrasted only by the ivory sheets he was entwined in. It took everything in Axel's power to keep from getting an erection. He could hardly stand it. He allowed himself a few extra moments to stand and stare at the boy before he finally leaned down to Roxas' face and cooed tauntingly in his ear. "Hey Roxy, wakey wakey."

Roxas shot up in a panic and his head collided with something hard. He winced and looked around in the scarce light coming from the hall. His eyes fell on Axel and he looked at the older man in confusion. "Axel?"

"Ah, geeze. You've got to quit doing that." Axel rubbed his skull and smirked down at Roxas. "I let myself in. Your aunt always left a spare key under the mat and you weren't coming when I knocked on the door so I let myself in."

"Oh, she must have left for work." Roxas groaned and ruffled his hair. "So…"

"Santa Monica." Axel grinned and held a hand out for Roxas to grab. When the boy did so he pulled him up and chuckled. "Are you ready for a good time?"

"Yeah, let me just change my clothes." Roxas flipped on the light switch and rummaged through his bag. He found a pair of khaki shorts and another white button up shirt and began stripping down. "The beaches down here are warm, right?"

"Yeah…" Axel watched Roxas strip in an almost hypnotized state. He felt a distinct discomfort in his pants but he couldn't tear his eyes away. "Much warmer than you're used to anyway. Still chilly to us natives when the weather is right."

Roxas shrugged and buttoned his shirt. "I'm sure I'll be fine in this then." He pulled on his socks and then his shoes and started toward the door but he paused to look back at his redheaded companion. "Hey, Axel?"

Axel stopped abruptly. He had been following so close behind Roxas that if he hadn't stopped right as the boy did he would have run him over. "Yeah?"

Roxas smiled up at Axel brightly. "Thanks for inviting me."

Axel blushed but hid it by quickly flicking off the light as he exited the room. "No problem kid." He hurried past Roxas and waited for the boy at the front door. He then showed Roxas where the key was and locked the door for him. In no time at all they were on his motorcycle, rocketing through the city and onto the highway headed south-west for Santa Monica. Feeling Roxas cling tightly to him caused a warm sensation in Axel that he hadn't felt in a long time and he wanted nothing more than to tell Roxas everything and get it all out on the plate. But he knew Demyx wanted to protect the boy and that meant keeping the secret for at least a few more weeks. So he kept in blissful silence the rest of the way to Santa Monica and parked his motorcycle beside Marluxia's turquoise Cadillac. He dismounted and turned to Roxas to see the look on his face. "Pretty fucking awesome looking, isn't it?"

Roxas stared in awe at the lights coming from the pier. "It's amazing! Are we going to go up there?"

"Maybe later but first we're all going to get a little shit faced and sit around on the beach. We do it at least twice a month during summer." Axel shivered lightly and pulled his jacket close around him. "It's cold out here too. Summer is just starting so it's still a bit chilly. You want my coat?"

Roxas looked down at himself and shook his head. "No, actually the weather is perfect." He looked around curiously in hopes of finding the others. It was then that he heard a loud shout and he spotted Marluxia in the distance. "Hey, look! There they are!"

"Yep." Axel chuckled and grabbed Roxas' wrist. "Come on Roxy!"

Roxas rolled his eyes at the nickname but followed Axel none-the-less. He let the man drag him over to where the same group of friends from the night before sat already heavily intoxicated.

"Oh good…" Larxene snickered and motioned to the two. "Fag Man and Christ Lad are here."

Axel flipped Larxene the bird but ignored her for the most part. He looked to Roxas and chuckled lightly. "See, what did I tell you about nicknames?"

"Axel!" Demyx stood and rushed over to the taller man. Initially he was happy to see his friend and he had hoped that they could toss back a few beers and forget about the tension of the past twenty-four hours but upon seeing Roxas all hopes he had of a pleasant evening dissipated. "What are you doing!?"

Axel rolled his eyes and cocked an eyebrow at Demyx. "Listen Dem, don't start."

"Hey Ax!" Marluxia waved an empty bottle of vodka at his newly arrived friend. "We're out and Zex is passed out on the ground. How 'bout driving your sober ass to the liquor store and picking up some more vodka and some beers! Take Agent Party Kill with you and work out your little tiff before you get back. And here…" Marluxia fished out his wallet from his back pocket and chucked it at his friends. "I'm buying!"

Axel sighed and picked up the wallet that had fallen just short of his feet. "Come on Dem, we'll talk on the way."

Roxas watched as Axel quickly disappeared with Demyx storming after. He was a bit nervous to be left behind with the others but he took a seat by Marluxia as though they were old friends. "So, how is your head?"

"What?" Marluxia looked at Roxas a moment before remembering the split to his head he had taken the previous night. "Oh yeah, that. It's nothing. Got it stitched up and now I'm as good as new." He unscrewed the lid from the empty vodka bottle and milked it for its last drop. "So what's your cousin's problem anyway? What does he care who Axel sleeps with?"

Roxas cocked an eyebrow at Marluxia in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Look kid, we all know Axel's type." Larxene rolled onto her stomach and looked Roxas square in the face. "Young, supple body. Blue eyes, blond hair. You were practically tailor made for that fag. Don't try to deny it."

Roxas looked between the two curiously. "No, I'm not trying to deny anything. I just don't understand what you're saying."

Larxene rolled her eyes. "Bull shit, don't give us that crap. So…" She smirked devilishly and winked. "Who is top? Axel, right?"

Marluxia looked from Larxene to Roxas and back again. "You know, I really think he doesn't know." Marluxia chuckled and stared wide eyed at the blond boy before him. "Shit, how could you not know!? Axel's gay! Full out balls to the wall gay! And he's got it bad for you."

"What?" Roxas blinked back and forth between the two he was holding conversation with. "What do you mean, gay?"

There was silence for a moment before Marluxia and his girlfriend both burst into hysterical laughter. Marluxia fell into the sand and continued to laugh. "Y-you have GOT to be kidding me!" He wiped a tear from his eye and sat up. "Axel is into other guys. Like, he wants to be involved romantically and sexually with other men. Not women. Understand?"

"And that's…" Roxas furrowed his brow trying to grasp the concept. He'd never been exposed to romance before. In fact, up until he was about fourteen he believed that people just married for the sole sake of having children. He knew there had to be an element of love to it but he had been practically mortified to discover that not all people had known each other their whole lives before having children like his parents had. Dating was a relatively new concept for him. The fact that it could occur between people of the same gender was just an absolute shock to his system. "That's supposed to be bad somehow?"

"Nah!" Marluxia smiled and shook his head violently. "Not bad. Just different. Something to give Axel shit about, that's all. But Demyx on the other hand…" Marluxia shrugged. "He seems pissed that Axel has taken an interest in you."

"Wait." Roxas stared down at the sand in thought before his eyes shot back to Marluxia. "You're sure Axel is interested in me? Like, _romantically?_"

Larxene snorted and kicked her feet. "Come on! It's as plain as the tattoos on his face!"

Marluxia nodded in agreement. "Sorry, but yeah. He's head over heals. I've never seen him so flustered as I saw him last night at the show. I saw when he helped you off the floor and carried you away. He's a nice guy and he would have helped anybody up off the floor but most people he would just send off with a pat on the back. But he wanted to make damn sure you were ok. And inviting you tonight just confirms it. We don't let just anybody come here with us. Not even his brother comes. So obviously Axel wanted you here. The only question now is, why is Demyx so pissed?"

Roxas blinked quietly at the ground. His head was swirling now and he already felt dizzy without having one bit of alcohol. He was trying to process all this information but his mind kept going back to the moment on the couch; Axel laying on his chest. Blood rushed instantly to his face and his heart began pounding. But he had little time to ponder all that was flooding his mind because Axel had returned with Demyx brooding at his heels. His train of thought was cut off when Axel handed a beer into his face.

Axel smiled at Roxas. "Here, drink up."

Roxas took the beer with a shaky hand and averted his gaze from Axel. He was unsure how to feel about anything at the moment. Still, his mind kept playing that reel of him waking up to Axel snuggling his chest. And then Axel sat beside him and Roxas could scarcely breathe. He kept his eyes downcast and tinkered with the bottle cap of the beer but to no avail.

"Here, let me help." Axel grabbed the beer and pulled out his bottle opener. He popped the cap off of the beer and handed it back to Roxas. "There you go. Drink up, this is good stuff. Anytime Marluxia buys, we get fancy beer. His dad is rich and pretty boy is spoiled."

Marluxia batted his eyes and laughed. "You're just jealous." He reached for the new bottle of vodka he had been presented and tore open the lid. "So Ax, how about we get a fire started? I'm freezing!"

"Yeah, just let me pull the wood out of my ass." Axel scowled at Marluxia before the teen could take his comment and run with it. "Not a word."

"I wasn't going to say nothin'." Marluxia laughed and stood on wobbly legs. "But I brought wood and some kerosene. It's in my trunk." He chuckled and grabbed Demyx's arm. "Help me get it all over here while Roxas and Axel dig a pit."

Axel watched Marluxia stumble away before turning his gaze to Roxas. He smiled softly and nudged him. "Help me?"

Roxas nodded hesitantly and sat his beer to the side. He started to push off the ground but froze as Axel scooped up his hand and pulled him up. His eyes met with the redhead's and his heart pounded even faster. He let Axel lead him a few feet away where the older man dropped to his knees and began digging a hole. Roxas followed suit, kneeling down across from Axel. He couldn't bring himself to look at the man. "Are bonfires legal here? You don't have to have a permit or anything, do you?"

"Who knows?" Axel smiled devilishly at Roxas. "Who cares?" He reached out to grab another handful of dirt and his hand collided with Roxas'. The two froze, both staring at each other in silence. Axel wanted nothing more than to lean in and kiss those beautiful lips, still slightly damaged as they were. He wanted to feel Roxas' hand caressing his own. But how could he explain to the boy the very situation he was in, let alone how he had begun to feel after one very short day? To break the awkward silence he forced a chuckle and continued digging. "So, Demyx isn't mad about me bringing you."

Roxas looked from Axel to the sand and back again. "He isn't?"

"Nah, I think he's glad." Axel smiled softly. "He knows you're cool."

"Axel, why…" Roxas paused as his mouth spoke before his brain could tell it not to. There was no stopping it now, he'd already begun. "Why is it that you invited me here and yet your brother isn't even allowed to be here?"

Axel stared at Roxas open mouthed. He was unsure of how to truly answer that question without asking another question. "Marluxia said something, didn't he?"

"Yeah." Roxas swallowed hard and looked away from Axel. "He said a lot of things, actually. About you being gay, whatever that is. And that you're interested in me."

Axel cringed and ran a hand through his hair also avoiding the other's gaze. "Look, about that…"

"Is it true?" Roxas looked to Axel who still avoided eye contact. "Are you interested in me? Romantically?"

"Roxas, listen." Axel looked at the boy and sighed. "I promised Demyx that I wouldn't make any advances on you until you were eighteen. He thinks that your parents would freak if they found out about anything they didn't approve of. That's why I haven't said anything to you before now. And I'm sure you're probably mortified and you don't understand about my situation but…"

"You're right. I don't understand. Anything." Roxas furrowed his brow and stared at Axel. "For one, what business is it of Demyx's how you feel about me? I'm sure he has the best intentions but its really not his place to act how he is acting. I also don't understand why you are so interested in me so soon. We hardly know each other. It's true, I like you a lot. I think you're really cool and you're nicer than most people would probably assume you are. I'm really glad I'm getting to know you. But you hardly know anything about me right now. How can you say for sure how you feel about me?"

Axel smiled feeling very relieved. He had expected Roxas to panic and freak out on him. But it seemed that because the boy was so sheltered, he had no sense of right or wrong when it came to what society deemed a normal, healthy relationship. It was likely that his parents never once told him about the lifestyles of others. That there were gay and lesbian people in the world and that their lives were just a bit different from what Roxas had grown up around. This was all actually very beneficial to Axel because now he could continue his friendship with Roxas. The boy found nothing odd about his situation because as far as he knew, it was a completely normal and socially acceptable issue. "You're right. I can't say anything for sure. All I know is you're an interesting kid. You're smart and in your own quirky little way you're funny too. And I know that I want to get to know you Roxas. I want to get to know you _really_ well."

Roxas smiled. "I'd like that Axel. I'd like that a lot." He returned to digging out a pit for their fire but every so often his eyes would flicker back up to the redhead and that image of them on the couch would cause his heart to skip a beat. Finally Demyx returned with and armful of wood. Marluxia was jumping up and down and waving the kerosene like it was a golden ticket. Roxas watched as Axel instantly went to work building a fire. He then took the kerosene from Marluxia's drunken hands and administered it to the wood. Roxas couldn't bring himself to stop watching Axel even long enough to grab his beer until the fire was already lit and Axel had gone to reclaim his own bottle. He stared at the older man in awe. "You did that really fast."

Axel looked to the fire and shrugged. "Yeah? I guess I'm just good with my hands."

For some reason the image of Axel running his hands up Roxas' bare chest came to the teen's mind. Roxas had to look away for a moment. "Well now it won't be so chilly." He sat in the sand and stared into the fire. He tried to ignore the fact that Axel had sat beside him but he couldn't help but glance over from time to time. Occasionally he would catch those emerald eyes watching him followed by a small guilty smile before Axel all together looked away. They sat listening to Marluxia prattle on and on and soon Roxas had four beers under his belt on an empty stomach. Drunk as he was, he wasn't too drunk to notice that the length of his stares at Axel had grown longer and longer and the same could be said for the man's gazes at him. They were both watching each other while they thought the other wasn't looking. Roxas reached for another beer only to be handed one, already opened, by Axel. He smiled as he took it, his fingers gracing the older man's. It elicited a chill down his spine and a shimmer in Axel's eyes but Roxas had little time to process the feeling before a familiar phrase from some old movie caught his ears.

"Cheese it fellas! It's the fuzz!" Marluxia wailed as two police officers approached swiftly. "Ha ha! I've always wanted to say that! Go, go! I'll hold them off!"

"Eh?" Roxas turned to look behind him but before he could focus on anything he felt himself being yanked up and dragged away. Then he was running with no idea how or why he was doing so. Everything was happening so fast and in his drunken blur he had completely lost track of everything. All he knew now was that he was being led far and fast away from the warm bon fire.

Axel ran laughing as he dragged Roxas along. He'd dared a glance back to see Marluxia cartwheeling along the sand, evading the police officers as they tried to tackle him down. "That crazy son of a bitch! He was always saying he couldn't wait to spend his first night in jail! His daddy ain't gonna be too pleased!" Axel chuckled and shook his head as he led Roxas up onto the pier. If the police had back up and managed to follow them, there was still no way they'd find them in the crowd on the pier. He rushed past the people casting him curious glances and into the building that housed the carousel. There were few people inhabiting the building and even fewer children on the ride. Axel pulled Roxas onto the still moving platform and helped him gain his footing. "Pretty wild night, huh?"

Roxas looked at Axel finally gaining some sense of where he was. Still, he was dizzy drunk and the motion of the carousel was not helping at all. "What happened?"

"Some pussies probably called the cops on us for having a bonfire on the beach. Or maybe it was for the underage kids drinking alcohol. Ha! Who knows?" Axel chuckled and helped level Roxas who was once again about to lose his footing. "Marluxia bought us some time to escape."

"Thank you Axel." Roxas looked up at the redhead and tried to focus on him. "If you hadn't pulled me up and dragged me away I would have got caught too."

Axel smiled and shrugged. "Nah, no biggie."

"No, it is." Roxas stumbled backward as he tried to still stand on the rotating platform. Axel caught his wrist and he let himself be pulled closer to the man. "You're becoming a regular hero of mine. You saved me last night and just now and I've got no way to thank you."

Axel chuckled and shook his head. "Roxas, you don't…" Before Axel could finish his sentence he was cut off by Roxas' mouth over his. His eyes grew wide but they only met with the boy's deep blues staring into him. He melted in that gaze and although he knew it meant a throttling from Demyx later, he couldn't refuse that kiss. He wrapped his arms around the boy as the carousel turned them around and around for the awaiting parents to see. Some woman shrieked and yanked her child off the ride but Axel couldn't even pause long enough to give her the finger. His hands were too busy roaming the back of Roxas; exploring and claiming him, all the while pulling him closer and deeper into that kiss. He forced the boy's mouth open and rampaged the inside with his tongue. If it shocked Roxas, he wasn't showing it. He only mimicked in blind faith which caused Axel to go completely weak to the boy. He let his hands slide down to the front of Roxas' shorts where he tugged eagerly. He pulled his mouth from the boy's and pressed it to his ear. "Come with me Roxas. I wanna…" Again, interrupted. Only this time it wasn't such a pleasant interruption. Roxas spewed vomit all over the front of Axel. Axel cringed and snickered at the same time and pulled Roxas, still heaving fluid, off the carousel. "Come on kid. Let's get you home."


	6. CoughCool

Ack! Happy Halloween everybody!

I have been partying too much the past couple days… Uhg.

You know how drunk Roxas got in that last chapter? Yeah, that was me only ten times worse. I don't remember much of any of the parties but apparently I threw up during the entire duration of a 15 min drive home from a party out at a farm house a couple nights ago. In fact, my husband said I only paused in my vomiting once while I was hanging out the window to shout back at the people yelling "Party Hardy!" and all I said was "PUNK FUCKING ROCK!" and threw up the horns, then continued to vomit.

Which leads me to the moral of my story:

DON'T DRINK MORE ALCOHOL THAN YOU CAN HANDLE!

Even if its Vanilla Vodka which is delicious with your root beer mixer and you end up drinking ¾ of the bottle and think you're fine until you're sitting down and in the middle of a conversation with your boss you turn to spew and then turn back claiming "Lol! I'm good! I'm all good now! *hic hic* I'm good." because you're NOT good and you'll in fact go home and spend two hours in the shower shifting between passing out and begging your husband not to let you die.

So yeah, this chapter would have come to you sooner had I not been a belligerent ass hole. I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy.

On to this chapter itself. It was actually two chapters individually but they were both short in their own rights and so I decided to put them together to save time. This picks up shortly after the last chapter and then there is a break, and then its the next morning.

This chapter has all kinds of cute that I'm sure you've been waiting for and I promise you, if you've been waiting for smut, you will not be disappointed come next chapter.

I didn't realize it when I started this, but I'm thinking this could EASILY be a 40 chapter story. HOLY SHIT! Lets hope it doesn't get that long! I DOOOOO have other fics to write you know. As much as I would LOVE for this story to go on forever it does have to end, and there is still a lot to go.

Enjoy this chapter!

*Note: The actual title of this chapter should be Cough/Cool but won't let me put the "/" in. GAAAAAAY

* * *

"I'm sorry." Roxas said, words muffled against Axel's jacket as the man piggybacked him to the front door. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't sweat it. They're just clothes and they can easily be washed." Axel snickered as he dug one hand in his pocket and fished out his keys. He turned the key in the door and pushed it open. He eased Roxas down to the ground and flicked on a light. "Here we are…"

Roxas looked around quietly. "We're at your place. "

"Yeah, there's no way I'm taking you home and leaving you alone. You threw up! You could have alcohol poisoning and I'm not letting you deal with that alone." Axel pulled Roxas along and sat him on the couch. "I'm going to change these clothes real fast and then I'll be out here to take care of you. Ideally you should be getting a cold shower right about now to sober you up but given the circumstances…"

"A shower sounds fine." Roxas stood slowly but stumbled backward and fell onto the couch. "I can hardly stand. Why am I so drunk?"

"Well, for one you drank fancy imported beer. The generic stuff isn't as potent so last night when you only had two beers and it hit you, you were fine. But you had four, all with a higher alcohol content. You can't rush yourself into being a pro drinker like Marluxia. It takes time." Axel chuckled and pulled Roxas up. "Come on, I'll get you to the shower. But I warn you, it won't be warm and pleasant."

Roxas let Axel lead him to the bathroom. He tugged off his clothes and sat down in the bath tub. When Axel turned on the water it was freezing at first and Roxas let out a loud yelp. "Ah! It's so cold!"

Axel chuckled and adjusted the water to be a bit warmer but still on the cool side. "Yeah, well that's what happens when you drink too much kid. You get cold showers."

Roxas shivered and huddled himself up into a ball. "Axel?"

Axel had started to leave but at hearing his name he turned around and looked to Roxas. "Yeah?"

"I think I understand how you feel." Roxas smiled softly and glanced at Axel. "I like you a lot too. I hardly know you but tonight when I was thinking about you it made my heart pound and when I kissed you…" Blood rushed to the boy's face and he looked away from the older man. "Is that what its like when you meet someone you might fall in love with?"

Axel froze. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking but Roxas' words were like music to his ears. He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "More or less but usually there's no alcohol involved and nobody gets thrown up on."

"Oh." Roxas looked down sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Axel smiled and started out the bathroom door again. "Don't drown while I'm changing my clothes."

"I won't." Roxas sighed and continued to shiver in the water. He felt like he had to throw up more and he didn't want a repeat of earlier. "Earlier…" Earlier when he had kissed Axel on impulse. The memory now was very blurry but he could remember watching Axel stand there. Oddly attractive in a way Roxas had never thought of before; meaning that he was male. And now that Roxas thought back on it, he'd never been attracted to girls before. He'd never really given any thought to romance at all. It had always been study, study, study. But standing there on that carousel, drunk as he was, kissing Axel had just made sense. Thinking about it now made his heart quicken and his stomach grow in knots so when the vomit came rushing up his throat he didn't stop it. As soon as the rancid liquid left his mouth he felt worlds better. It was just then that Axel stepped back into the bathroom with a t-shirt in hand. "I threw up again. But I feel better now."

"Good." Axel smiled and turned off the water. He grabbed a towel from the cupboard and wrapped it around Roxas' shoulders. He then began drying the boy's hair vigorously with the towel. "You know, spewing sucks but it does help to get a lot of that out of you. Your body is already trying to process a lot of alcohol. More than it can handle. And there is still more its got to process in your stomach. Vomiting doesn't help the damage that's already been done to you but it does prevent you from taking on more. That's why we vomit when we drink too much. Our body is trying to get rid of the excess that could kill us. You'll still be drunk but you won't feel sick when you get that all out."

Roxas nodded slowly. "Makes sense. But I think I threw it all up. I don't feel nauseous anymore. Just cold."

Axel chuckled and helped Roxas out of the tub. "Well then you'll be happy to hear that I've got some coffee brewing and a nice, warm and completely vomit free t-shirt for you to wear."

Roxas smiled gratefully. "Thank you Axel. You're really kind."

"Yeah, just don't go telling anybody about it." Axel laughed and handed Roxas the shirt and a pair of underwear. "Your clothes are in the wash."

"Thanks." Roxas tugged on the underwear and then pulled the shirt on over his head. He looked down to see a woman's face staring up at him with the word Blondie written vertically along the side. "Who is she?"

"Ha! That's Debbie Harry. And you're going to pretend you never saw that shirt. I like Blondie but if any of the others new I still had that shirt they'd bust my balls for sure." Axel snickered. "Normally I don't give a shit but I'd never hear the end of that one so let's just keep it between you and me."

Roxas laughed lightly and made a zipping motion across his mouth. "My lips are sealed."

"Well, lets hope not _too_ sealed." Axel winked slyly and started out the bathroom door. He waited for Roxas to follow him before he continued talking. "That shirt swallows you, by the way. How funny."

Roxas looked down at himself and the shirt that dangled just a little past his hips. "I don't think its so funny. I'm scrawny."

Axel chuckled and poured a cup of coffee for Roxas. "Well then you'll just have to beef up and get buff like Lexaeus."

"Ha ha! Yeah right!" Roxas laughed as he sat down on the couch. He accepted the cup of coffee Axel handed to him and watched silently as the man grabbed a Betamax cassette and put it into the VCR. "What are we watching?"

"I Walked With a Zombie." Axel smiled excitedly and plopped down on the couch beside Roxas. "You'll like this one, I promise."

Roxas nodded as he took a sip of the coffee. "I'm sure I will." He watched with interest as the RKO logo came up on the screen and then faded to the opening credits. Axel seemed to have an attraction to older films and this was the forth RKO film they had watched within the past twenty four hours. He nestled down as a colorless beach came into view and sat his coffee to the side. He tried to pay attention to the movie but he could feel Axel's stare burrowing into him. He looked to the man and chuckled as Axel quickly averted his eyes. "You can look at me Axel. It's ok. There's no harm in simple looking so who cares what Demyx thinks?"

"Yeah, I know." Axel sighed and ran a hand through his hair nervously. "It's just…"

Roxas blinked up at his companion curiously. "It's just what?"

"Roxas, I have this fatal character flaw. I fall for people, hard and fast. And I know we've barely met but I really like you. I mean, _really_. Those hours we spent here last night and then on the phone this morning, just talking and getting to know each other. It doesn't take much for me to know whether or not I like somebody. And I like you Roxas." Axel looked down at the ground to avoid the boy's gaze. "I just don't know how to take things slow. I guess I'm a believer in love at first sight."

"Love at first sight?" Roxas looked to Axel and chuckled. "But how can you love someone you haven't spent time with?"

Axel glanced to Roxas. "But I've spent time with you."

"Are you saying…" Roxas swallowed hard and began picking at the bottom of the shirt to occupy himself. "You're in love with me?"

"I'm not saying that. Just that, well…" Axel sighed and rubbed his neck briskly. "I'd be very sad if I never got to see you again. And I _want_ to love you. I think that I can very easily. I'm already very fond of you in this short time we've known each other. Just imagine how I'll feel in a week! You mentioned it earlier in the bathroom, that when you thought of me it made your heart pound. When I first laid eyes on you at the concert it made my heart pound and I thought '_I have to meet him.' _and I'm so glad I did. Geeze, I sound so cheesy right now but you understand, right? When you kissed me, what did you feel?"

Roxas blushed at the thought and avoided Axel's gaze. "I felt…" He smiled and looked further away from the older man feeling all the more embarrassed. "Butterflies. And my heart was pounding. But that's normal, right? For a first kiss?"

"Your first!?" Axel stared at Roxas feeling a bit of guilt. "Ah, I didn't mean to steal your first kiss Rox."

Roxas smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry about it! You didn't steal it! I was the one that kissed you, remember?"

Axel nodded slowly and stared at the boy out of the corner of his eye. "Why did you?"

"I don't know." Roxas half chuckled, half sighed. "I guess it just felt like something I should do. Granted, I was pretty drunk at the time but it just made sense. You like me. I like you. Thinking about you made my heart pound. That's what falling in love is like, right?"

"Yeah." Axel gave a sad smile and looked down at the ground. There was nothing quite like painful memories to take away from a moment of happiness. "Yeah, it's just like that."

"Axel…" Roxas smiled kindly at the man and gripped his hand. "Don't look so sad, ok? It doesn't suit you."

"Sorry." Axel shrugged and forced a smile. "Sheesh, here I am feeling sorry for myself like some kind of douche bag and you probably just want to watch the movie."

"No, it's fine. I like talking to you." Roxas reclaimed his coffee and took another sip. "You're interesting Axel. You're easily my favorite person in the world."

Axel grinned. "Yeah? I think I can feel comfortable saying the same thing about you kid."

Roxas smiled and sat his drink to the side again. There was silence and Axel had returned his attention to the movie so Roxas did the same. It didn't take long for sleep to claim Axel and Roxas didn't have the heart to wake him. He yawned quietly and turned the television off before snuggling up beside the dozing redhead. Watching the man sleep brought a smile to Roxas' face and he couldn't help but place a gentle kiss on the tip of Axel's nose. He yawned again and let his hand fall across his companion's chest. "Good night Axel."

--

"Good morning Roxas." Axel smiled brightly at the teen laying sprawled on the floor. "You know, you could have slept in my bed if I was hogging the couch."

"Huh?" Roxas sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Oh, I must have fell onto the floor. What time is it?"

"Nine o'clock. Still early enough for breakfast at McDonalds. You want some? I grabbed plenty." Axel fished into the bag he held and pulled out a breakfast sandwich. "Greasy goodness."

Roxas made a face as his stomach churned at the word greasy. "Eh, no thanks." He ran a hand through his hair and ruffled it slowly. "Any word from Demyx and the others?"

"Not a word." Axel sat on the couch and chuckled. "I'm sure they're fine. Marluxia probably got bailed out before he even had to spend a night in jail. Same probably goes for the others if they actually got caught. Pampered brats."

Roxas joined Axel on the couch and looked to him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Marluxia's dad is a lawyer. And not just any lawyer. He's a high profile prosecution attorney. Because of that, he really knows how to bend the legal system to his every whim. Marly's always getting into trouble but his dad gets him out of it before he has to face any real punishment. It's all about who you know." Axel rolled his eyes. "Then Larxene, her father owns a really nice restaurant in downtown LA. People come from all over to eat there and they make a ton of cash. Zexion's parents own a small book store chain here in Southern California. It's pretty popular. And Lexaeus, well…" Axel shrugged. "Nobody knows what his dad does. He works for the government and gets paid a lot of money and that answer is good enough for his family so it has to be good enough for everyone else too."

Roxas nodded slowly. "I see. So everybody comes from a rich family. Well, then why wear torn up clothes and stuff?"

Axel snickered. "Now _that's_ the interesting part. It's not a whole lot more than a fashion statement anymore, but back when punk first got started it was a political statement. Punks weren't going to conform to what society deemed fashionable or cool. Long hair was in so most punks chopped their locks and started dressing different to make a point. But the look caught on and became sort of a fashion trend. Nobody really has the same punk ideals anymore that they did when they first started. Sure, there are a couple of hardcore punks still around somewhere, but they're idiots. I mean, who really wants to live on the streets trying to get by on what they can? Its stupid. Anarchy can never work so why bother trying to make a statement about it?"

Roxas nodded slowly. "So then why do you dress like that? I mean, you seem to look down on it but you still do it?"

"It's a vicious cycle." Axel sighed and took a jumbo bite out of his breakfast. "See, by dressing like this others view me as a non-conformist; my friends and strangers alike. If I dressed normal by society's standards I would be a conformist. But the very fact that I strive to appear different makes me a conformist to the hundreds of others that try to look different as well. So I'm a conformist either way. But better to wear clothes that I feel comfortable in than dressing like…" Axel chuckled and winked at Roxas. "You."

Roxas huffed and scowled. "Yeah, well it's not my fault. My parents have picked out my clothes for me since the day I was born."

Axel chuckled at the look on Roxas' face. "Relax. I was just teasing you. What you wear is fine. Its part of who you are and there's no shame in that."

"But that's just it! I don't know if this _is_ who I am. I mean, my whole life my parents have been on my case pressuring me to be better and to try harder and always be the son they wanted. I didn't want all of that! I wanted to have friends and play around and just be a kid. I didn't want to work so hard in school. I didn't want to come to California to go to college! I don't even really want to go to college!" Roxas furrowed his brow, growing angrier and angrier by the minute. "And my religion! It's always repent for this, ask for forgiveness for that! Say ten Hail Marys and be on your way…" He clenched his fists and growled angrily. "But I don't want forgiveness because I haven't done anything wrong! I've been a good kid and shouldn't God just accept me for how I am? It's so stupid! My whole life I've lived for my parents and for God and not once have I been truly happy. It's the same monotonous routine day in and day out!"

Axel nodded. "I can see how that can be frustrating."

"And you know what else? I think I _want_ to wear torn up jeans and clunky boots and a dingy t-shirt with crude words on it! I want to try something new! I need to see what works for me. Maybe…" Roxas stood up clenching his fists. "Well, maybe this is just the start of a completely new me. No! The _real_ me. The me that lives for myself and does what _I _want and fuck all the others! Right?"

"That's the spirit kid! Fuck 'em. Live your life how you want to!" Axel stood and gripped Roxas' shoulder. "You live the way that makes you happy!"

"I will! Fuck the colleges! Fuck my parents! And fuck Catholicism!" Roxas gripped the low hanging crucifix necklace that had been tucked inside the shirt he wore and yanked. The chain broke and he tossed the emblem to the floor. "Fuck everything!"

Axel looked to Roxas and chuckled. "There ya go! Time for some independence!"

Roxas looked up at Axel, his hands trembling. "For the first time I feel…" He smiled excitedly and began pacing the room. "Happy! Oh my God, I just realized! This is so great Axel! I don't have to worry about anything anymore. I don't have to do what my parents want! I don't have to go to church! Nothing!" He laughed and grabbed Axel's arms. "Do you know what this feels like?"

Axel laughed and nodded. "Yeah Roxas. It's called freedom and as long as you don't go too overboard with it, it can be a good thing."

Roxas smiled widely. "What am I going to do next?"

"I think the question is, what are you _not_ gonna do next?" Axel plopped back down on the couch and returned Roxas' smile with an equally wide grin. "And the answer, my friend, is nothing that you don't wanna do!"

"Right." Roxas regained his seat beside Axel and sighed. "It is so strange. A simple decision I made and I feel worlds different. Axel, do you think it is the right choice?"

"Who gives a fuck what I think? I think that if it makes you happy then it is right but there is never really a right or wrong answer to anything and you shouldn't be concerned about what anybody else has to say about it. It's your life and nobody has to live it but you." Axel shrugged and smiled. "So how are you going to live your new life?"

"Gee, I don't know." Roxas ruffled his hair and stared at the floor in thought. "Right now I'm just content hanging out with you and the others. Not having any responsibility is nice. Just knowing that there is nothing I _have _to do is awesome. I suppose I just want to keep hanging out with you all. Maybe get a job. I know I definitely want to go to more concerts and really just let loose like Marluxia does."

"Whoa now." Axel snickered and gripped Roxas' shoulder. "Let's not get too out of hand! Marluxia is a professional psychopath. It takes years of chemical imbalance and alcohol abuse to obtain that level of blatant disregard for one's own safety. Just take it one step at a time. What else would you like to do?"

Roxas gaze flew to Axel and he stared at him seriously. "I'd like to get to know you better. I mean, on a much more personal level. I'd like to find out why looking at you gives me this strange feeling. I want to find out why my heart pounds when I think about yesterday. I'm curious as to why, when I look at your eyes, I have this urge to just… "

Axel swallowed hard. His heart was pounding and he could see the pulse in Roxas' throat beating wildly as well. "To just what?"

"I don't know. I don't know how to describe it." Roxas looked away from Axel shyly. "I get these flashes in my head but I don't know if it would be ok to act upon them and I wouldn't even really know how to."

Axel cupped Roxas' cheek in his hand and turned the teen's gaze to him. "I can teach you. Those things you're feeling and those flashes you're seeing, they're called instinct. And I can show you how to act upon them."

Roxas stared at Axel longingly. "Show me then. Right here, right now."

Axel bit his bottom lip and looked down at Roxas. The boy was entirely serious and he was more than willing to comply. There was, however, one minor detail that stood in his way. "I can't. I promised your cousin that I would wait until you turned eighteen."

"Fuck Demyx!" Roxas scowled and crossed his arms. "Like you said, this is my life and nobody else has to live it but me! I want to understand what is happening here with you and me and I don't care what Demyx has to say! Neither should you!"

Axel sighed and let his hand fall from the blond's cheek. "It's different than that. It isn't that I care what he thinks because I don't. I like you Rox, a lot. I think you know that. And nobody could change my mind about that. But I made a _promise_ to Demyx that I would hold off on any advances until you turn eighteen. I wasn't even supposed to let you know how I feel. I suppose we have Marluxia to thank for that."

Roxas shook his head. "That shouldn't matter! Its stupid!"

"No, its not." Axel smiled softly. "Dem has been my best friend for a long time. He's always looking out for me and in a way he is looking out for you too. Do you think he cares who I'm fucking? He doesn't. All he cares about is, am I going to get hurt? He's always been that way. Protective. He just has a funny way of showing it. Kinda like an overbearing mother who lectures her kids out of love. He knows I won't hurt you. And he hardly knows you but I think deep down he knows you won't hurt me either. He's just concerned for both of us and instead of outright saying it he just nags and dramatizes everything. Making me promise to wait until you're eighteen is just a method of making sure we get to know each other first before things get out of hand. He'll chill out eventually though, you'll see."

Roxas nodded slowly but a thought occurred to him. There was a moment the night before where they were talking about what it was like to fall in love and Axel had grown sad and quiet. Demyx's want to protect Axel only supplied another piece to the puzzle. "You've been hurt before, haven't you Axel?"

Axel looked to Roxas and gave a sad smile. "Ha! Can't get anything by you, can I?" He sighed and stared ahead. "Yeah, I got hurt really bad. A couple of times actually. And that's not including what happened with my mom." The redhead put a hand on Roxas' knee and squeezed lightly. "You got time for a long story?"

Roxas smiled softly and nodded. "I have all the time in the world."

Axel returned his companion's smile and took a deep breath. "It was my Junior year in high school when things in my life had gotten really fucked up. I was just a punk hanging out with friends and doing well enough in class to get by. For a long time I suppressed my homosexuality and tried to ignore it altogether but that all changed when I met him." Axel let out a hefty sigh and stared at his feet. "His name was Luxord. He was a foreign exchange student from London and I thought he was so cool. He was a punk too, but strangely different somehow. I was drawn to him, I wanted to hang out with him all the time. But he was too cool to hang out with the lower classmen like Zexion and Demyx. Me though, he liked me. I started ditching the others to hang out with him and I really fell head over heels for him very quickly. I suddenly didn't care about suppressing my homosexuality. I became open about who I was with everyone, including my disapproving mother…"

Roxas looked to Axel sadly as the man paused to inhale a shuddering breath. "That was when she kicked you out, wasn't it?"

Axel nodded. "She wanted me out of her home and away from my little brother. I had nowhere else to go, my dad had moved to Las Vegas and I really had no other family here. I stayed with Demyx for a couple of days before Luxord invited me to come stay with him. He had his own little apartment the government was letting him stay in because he was an eighteen year old exchange student so there was no reason to worry about parents or authority figures kicking me out because I was gay." He clenched his fists as he continued, the memories becoming painful now. "I really fell in love with Luxord. Hard. He was the first person I was ever sexual with and every bit of it was powerful and beautiful to me. But not to Luxord. He wasn't just into men. He liked women too and he was always bringing women in and out of the place. It hurt, but not nearly as bad as…"

Roxas put a hand on Axel's shoulder as he trailed off. "It's alright, you don't have to finish."

"No." Axel gripped Roxas' hand and smiled. "No, it's fine. I'll finish." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Luxord was a Senior. Now, I don't know how school is over in the UK but he was graduating here. And that meant that once he graduated he no longer had government funding to stay here in the US. Sure, he could have applied for a green card and stayed. But he didn't want to stay. In fact he just up and disappeared in the middle of the night. The only thing he left was a note that said "_Thanks for the good times, love."_ and then I never heard from him. I was crushed. I could hardly function. And once again I had nowhere to go. Demyx took me in again. Your aunt is a really great lady and she was always happy to have me around. But I knew I couldn't stay there forever. I got a job at an auto repair shop. It was just about the only thing I was good at. I worked all summer and saved up enough money to make a down payment on an apartment in Arcadia so I could finish high school but as soon as my mom got word I was still around she made sure to let everyone know that I was a bad seed. So I decided to just move to Hollywood. Couldn't quite afford it though so West Hollywood it is. Same general area only a lot less glamorous."

Roxas nodded slowly. "No wonder Demyx is afraid of you getting hurt."

"Yeah, there've been a few others that were a lot like Luxord. Only interested in sex and not necessarily in me. Demyx once beat the shit out of a guy I had fallen for because he heard the guy talking shit about me as soon as I left the room." Axel chuckled. "Your cousin man…" He shook his head and grinned. "For all his faults, he's one hell of a good friend. That's for sure."

"Yeah. It sounds like it." Roxas smiled but was still a little disheartened. "Alright, so you made this promise and you're going to keep it. I guess I have to respect that. But…" Roxas smirked at Axel. "On my birthday that promise to Demyx is null and void."

"Yes sir." Axel smiled and nudged the boy playfully. "When is your birthday again?"


	7. I Turned Into a Martian

SOOOOOO! This is the chapter you've all been waiting for! I think… Nice little bit of smut toward the end but nothing TOO hot and heavy. It's actually more cute and romantic than anything. But don't let that disappoint you cause if you came here for hot, sexy smut you'll be getting it next chapter. So if you don't want to read smut stop at "Just relax. Go with it." and pick back up at "W-we're having sex, aren't we?" cause you don't wanna miss a moment of the LOVE!

Ha ha, anyway. Yeah, I'm going to Disneyland this weekend so I figured I'd post the chapter early since I probably won't be getting the chance before I leave. I hope you enjoy it!

Roxas is one of the cool kids now, lol. Thus the title of the chapter, which is sort of a play off of the "Teenagers from Mars" chapter title where he first meets the group. Now Roxas has _turned into a Martian_. WHOAAAA WHOAA OH! Erk, sorry. I promise to never sing in text again.

Anyhow, enjoy the chapter! GNEEEEEE!

* * *

Six weeks passed by excruciatingly slow for Roxas and he assumed the same went for Axel. Every time they were in the same room it was desperate glances when nobody was looking and longing stares when they were alone. It seemed that the very fact that they couldn't act on their impulses only caused them to want to more. There were occasions when they were drinking that they would find little excuses to sneak away from the group to find a place where they could "make out" as Axel called it. Those moments only made Roxas long for his birthday even more. He was beginning to like Axel more and more with each passing day and he would often lay awake at night thinking about the man. This caused his heart to pound and at times, even ache. He knew he was slowly falling in love with his exciting new friend.

Demyx in that time had grown grumpier, especially when he found out the two had been hanging out on their own without any outside supervision. Roxas tried his hardest to stay patient with his cousin but there were times when he could scarcely stand the interrogation from the man without snapping at him defensively. Still, he knew Demyx meant well so he did his best to be understanding. It was just hard, especially with his newfound sense of confidence and independence. He didn't like the idea of anybody trying to influence his decisions and that included his new friends, despite how good they had been to him. He didn't know how much more he could take between Larxene and Marluxia's constant mockery of their secret, Demyx's incessant questioning and Axel's amazing ability to set Roxas' heart into overdrive with a simple glance and a smile.

All he knew was that he couldn't wait to turn eighteen so that he and Axel could openly explore the emotions entangling them to discontented days and sleepless nights without constant berating from the others. Finally that day came and Roxas never felt more excited. As soon as he woke he jumped out of bed and rushed over to his phone only for it to ring before he could pick it up. He grasped the receiver and held it to his ear. "Yeah?"

"_Mornin' birthday boy."_

Roxas grinned widely and took a seat on top of his dresser. "Mornin' Ax." Roxas glanced at the clock. It read 2:43 "Err, or afternoon anyway. How you doing?"

"_Horrible! I could hardly sleep last night and not just because Marluxia's drunk ass was singing and dancing all night."_

"Oh?" Roxas chuckled. "Well I'm sorry to hear that. But that's what you assholes get for partying without me."

"_Well it couldn't be helped. Look, Dem's on his way over to get you. I just wanted to call and give you a heads up."_

"That's all?" Roxas smiled though Axel couldn't see him. "Or did you call to wish me a happy birthday?"

"_You know I did. Happy birthday you little shit. You're eighteen now! Time to celebrate like a man! Now go get your ass ready cause Dem's driving from Marly's dad's house so it won't be more than fifteen minutes."_

"Alright, alright." Roxas snickered and hung up the phone. He then jumped down from his perch and walked over to a pile of clothes laying on the other side of the room. He knelt down and picked up a pair of pants that had formerly belonged to his cousin in high school. The pair of red plaid BDSMs were a bit of a tight fit on him but he loved them nonetheless and until he could get a job to pay for his own clothes he would wear hand-me-downs happily. After all, he wanted to fit in with his new friends but more importantly, he wanted to stand out from the rest of the world. He wanted people to look at him and think _"That kid lives his own life"_ and they would know not to bother him. He squeezed into the pants and then fished around for a shirt and found a slightly wrinkled but still odor free red shirt with a hand drawn version of the Crimson Ghost on the front. This shirt had once been Axel's.

Roxas chuckled as he looked at the clothes strewn across the floor, most in too delicate a condition to be washed in a machine. All the clothes were donations from his friends, old clothes that no longer fit them or no longer fit their particular style. Even Larxene had donated a couple items. Most the clothes were tattered beyond any form of repair and Roxas could only spot clean them as needed so he rarely cleaned them at all. He slipped on a pair of boots that had at one time actually belonged to Larxene. They were steel toed but horribly torn and ragged and looked like they would fall to pieces at any second. Last was an old vest that had apparently belonged to Lexaeus when he was in boy scouts. It was brown and torn and had been passed on to Zexion who until recently had been the only one small enough to fit into it. In his possession, the vest had obtained a barrage of studs along the back and the bear adorning the scout badge on the front had a very comedic frowny face. It was Roxas' favorite aspect of the ensemble he wore. He heard a knock at his door just as he reached for an old spiked collar of Larxene's and snapped it around his neck. "Yeah!?"

Demyx stepped into his old room and smiled upon seeing his cousin. "Oh good, you're ready. I'm guessing Axel actually did what I asked for once and called you to tell you I was coming."

"Yeah." Roxas picked up one last item from his dresser, a studded armband that Marluxia had given him. Some of the studs were brown with a substance that Marluxia swore up and down was blood and had an interesting story to go along with it but he couldn't tell Roxas until just the right moment. "So what's up?"

"Just waiting for your ass to be ready so we can go." Demyx chuckled. "Happy birthday, by the way. Eighteen man. Welcome to the rest of your life!"

"Yeah. I'm excited." Roxas ran a quick hand through his hair and pushed the locks backward which just left them standing every which way. "Alright, I'm ready." Roxas followed his cousin down the stairs just as the house phone began to ring.

"Aren't you gonna answer that?" Demyx glanced at Roxas. "You can, you know. You live here."

Roxas shook his head. "The answering machine will handle it. Besides, it might be my parents."

"Still haven't talked to them?" Demyx chuckled as his cousin rushed out the front door. "They're gonna tear into your ass when they finally do get ahold of you."

Roxas shrugged and climbed onto the back of Demyx's Vespa. "Then I'll just have to make sure they never get ahold of me."

"Whatever kid." Demyx climbed in front of his cousin and started the engine. He drove off toward their destination. They rode in silence along the streets finally coming into the more wealthy part of Arcadia. He brought his Vespa to park in front of Marluxia's childhood home and smirked at Roxas' astonished gaze. "Oh yeah, that's right. I forgot, you haven't been here yet."

"Nope. Only to Zexion's and Larxene's. This place is huge." Roxas snickered. "Nothing but the best for Prince Marly."

Demyx chuckled. "Oh yes. Except for his apartment in Hollywood. Cramped and crowded but he loves it for some reason." Demyx tugged his cousin by his sleeve. "Come on! They're waiting for you man!"

Roxas smiled excitedly and hurried up to the front door but before he could knock, Axel pulled it open. "Hey! Axel!"

Axel wrapped an arm around Roxas and gave him a quick noogy. "Happy birthday!"

"Ow! Yeesh!" Roxas chuckled and gripped Axel's arm. "It's my birthday. You're supposed to be nice!"

"Forget that!" Demyx smirked as he joined the two at the door. "It's _your_ birthday but its just another day to us so if anything we'll just rag on you more for thinking you're so special."

Roxas laughed lightly. "Alright, fine." His gaze then flew to Axel who still had an arm around him. He smirked and glanced at the stairs which no doubt led to upstairs bedrooms. "Hey Ax, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"

Demyx scowled knowing full well what would occur the instant the two left his sight. Axel had been pining away for Roxas for the past six weeks. Whenever he got too drunk and it was just the two of them he would whine to Demyx that enough time had passed and he could hardly stand it. All Demyx had to do was remind him of the promise and eventually the whining would stop but now the deal was up. Roxas was eighteen and he knew there was little he could do to stop Axel from diving head first into another potentially painful situation. Still, he had to try so he quickly shook off his scowl and grabbed Roxas' arm. "Wait! Don't you wanna see all the hard work we put into your party! Larxene even baked a cake!"

"Holy shit." Roxas chuckled.

"I know, the bitch actually got off her ass and did something for somebody else!" Demyx dragged Roxas to the kitchen to show him the cake. "Shocker, huh?"

"No, I mean I can't believe you guys actually let her near an oven! She probably poisoned it. Ha ha!" Roxas smiled though as his eyes fell on the cake. It looked good and it was clear that Larxene had actually taken her time on it. "Wow, she worked hard."

"No I didn't." Larxene crossed her arms as she came in the kitchen. "I only baked the thing, Zexion did the frosting and the writing. And don't expect me to cook anything for your ass ever again. Just cause my dad owns a restaurant doesn't mean I'm a fucking chef, alright?"

Roxas grinned and started off toward Axel. "So Ax…"

Demyx grabbed his cousin by the arm again and led him out of the kitchen. "So you haven't seen the massive home theater system Mar's dad has set up. He's got three game systems hooked up to it; An Atari and two Channel F systems, the Fairchild version and the Zircon version. And then he has a VHS player, and a LaserDisc player hooked up too. Have you ever seen a movie on LaserDisc? It's amazing! Clearest picture ever! It's like being there. He's got a great Marilyn Monroe collection. You like her don't you?"

"Uh, sure." Roxas glanced back at Axel longingly as he was dragged into a long hall.

"Wait!" Marluxia rushed down the stairs and landed clumsily at the bottom. "Nobody told me Roxas was here! It's party time now!"

"Party time?" Demyx cocked an eyebrow at his friend. "Weren't you just sleeping off your last party?"

"Details, details." Marluxia smiled excitedly. "Come on, out to the pool!"

Roxas looked to Marluxia and chuckled. "I didn't know we'd be swimming. I didn't bring a swim suit."

Marluxia smirked and stripped off his shirt "Go naked! I will if you do! Of course, who knows if Axel can handle that?" He wrapped an arm around Roxas and winked at his redhead friend. "Will that be too detrimental to your sanity Axey?"

"Chill it Mar." Demyx pulled Roxas away from Marluxia. "I'm sure you've got an old suit around here somewhere."

"Ah, no fun Dem! Where's your party spirit!?" Marluxia sighed and grabbed Roxas by the wrist. "Come on, I have a ton of old speedos somewhere."

Demyx watched as Marluxia and Roxas disappeared up the stairs. He then turned his eyes to Axel and crossed his arms. "He knows about it, doesn't he?"

Axel crossed his own arms to counter Demyx. "Marluxia? Yeah, Marly knows everything. Remember?"

"That's not what I meant and you damn well know it!" Demyx scowled. "Did you say something to Roxas? He knows how you feel, doesn't he? You told him."

"Relax, shit for brains." Larxene smirked and stepped between Demyx and Axel. "Mar and I told the kid weeks ago. And why do you really care anyway? Are you hot for Axel? Or maybe you're into your cousin in some weird sort of incestuous way."

"Fuck off Larxene. Its neither and you know damn well. I just don't want to see Axel get hurt." Demyx sighed and looked to Axel. "I just don't want to see you get hurt man."

"You think the little twerp has it in him to hurt somebody!?" Larxene snorted. "He may have changed in the time that he has hung with us but he hasn't changed too much. Sometimes when I look at him I still catch a glimpse of that prim and proper little Catholic boy you brought the first night. He wouldn't hurt a fly no matter how hard he acts, and he doesn't even act that hard!"

Axel groaned as Larxene flew into hysterical laughter and walked away. He turned his eyes to Demyx and smiled. "Look Dem, I know you're trying to protect me. I understand that and I appreciate that. But Roxas isn't going to hurt me. He's not at all concerned about sex, in fact I'm pretty sure he's a virgin. Besides, I'm standing on my own two feet this time. I don't have anything to really lose, and Demyx…" Axel sighed. "I think I really am in love with him."

"Well, he has a crush on you. That's for sure." Demyx smiled softly. "It was pretty clear that first night he stayed at your place. I don't think he realized what it was back then but he thought you were the coolest. And all he ever does is talk about you when you're not around. In a good way, I mean. But his parents would freak if they found out and who knows what might happen? I just worry man, that's all. For both of you."

"I know." Axel smiled and punched Demyx gently on the arm. "But come on, give us both some credit! I won't hurt the kid. He's too important to me. And Larxene's right, he doesn't have it in him to hurt anybody either."

"He's not the one I'm worried about hurting you." Demyx sighed. "Its his parents, man. They're crazy protective. My mom says they call every day and even threatened to file a missing person's report if they didn't talk to the kid within a week! Thankfully she talked them out of it and convinced them he was fine and was just hard at work with the whole college thing. But you get what I mean. If they knew about you two they'd find some way to tear him away from here and you'd never see him again. I don't want that. I'm kinda used to having the little shit around." He smiled and put a hand on Axel's shoulder. "I'm gonna lay off now. A deal is a deal. Just make sure you stress the importance of discretion to him, at least where his parents are involved."

A bright smile blossomed onto Axel's face and it took everything in his power to keep from throwing his arms around Demyx in a massive hug. Having his best friend's blessing meant the whole world to him. "Thanks Dem. Don't worry anymore, ok?"

"Yeah yeah." Demyx fought a grin tugging at his lips and nudged Axel. "Come on, let's get out to the pool."

--

Hours had passed and the sun was just beginning to set. They spent most of the day swimming and drinking. They would take a break to eat and then swim and drink some more. Roxas was glad to just have friends that cared enough to throw him a party. But just before the sun went down they insisted he open his present. He didn't expect any presents. He was shocked to find that each one of his friends had went out and gotten him a new piece of clothing that fit him the way it should. Marluxia had bought him boots, Larxene a t-shirt, Demyx a kutte vest, Lexaeus a pair of pants and Zexion had customized them all. Roxas didn't know what to say to his friends but he didn't get a chance to say anything. Axel had approached him and whispered for him to follow and Roxas was more than happy to oblige. His heart was pounding as he followed Axel back inside and up the stairs. He had been waiting for this moment all day and now it was here. But he lost sight of the redhead as he reached the top of the stairs and he felt a slight panic. "Axel?"

Axel smirked as he snaked an arm out into the dark hall and grabbed Roxas by the wrist. He pulled him into Marluxia's old bedroom and smiled as his hands worked at undressing the boy. "Good news. Demyx gave us the green flag."

"Oh?" Roxas smiled and pressed his lips along Axel's jaw line, the smell of booze thick on both of their breaths. "That _is_ good news. Are we gonna celebrate by making out?"

"Oh no." Axel chuckled and pulled Roxas over to the bed. He forced the blond backward and straddled him as he began tugging at the stubborn swimsuit. "Something much more fun. Consider it a birthday present."

"Alright." Roxas wrapped his arms around the redhead's neck and kissed the man deeply. But as Axel finally got the speedo down he pulled away from Roxas leaving the boy very disgruntled. "Where are you going?"

"Right here." Axel glanced up Roxas' body from where he sank lower and smirked. "Just relax. Go with it." He let his tongue slide down that soft stomach, taunting the belly button with a light little twitch of the wet muscle.

Roxas inhaled sharply at the feeling of Axel's tongue trailing down his torso. The sensation made his body feel on fire. And then Axel sunk lower, kissing a path up his thigh, and Roxas could scarcely breathe. His nerves were shot. He opened his mouth to question Axel but all manner of thought was torn from his mind as he felt the older man engulf him in warmth, using that same flicker of his tongue in a much more tantalizing way. Roxas gasped loudly and his hands went instantly for Axel's hair. "Wh-what are you doing!?" But the man didn't pause to explain. Whatever it was, it had Roxas in absolute bliss so he didn't press the matter. He managed a glance at Axel. Those piercing green eyes staring up at him sent a shiver down his spine and a wave of pleasure overtook him. He felt hot and cold at the same time and then all at once his body failed him. "A-axel!"

Axel pulled away from Roxas just before the boy could climax and smirked at him. "Yeah?"

"Wh-what was that?" Roxas lay panting and staring up at the ceiling in a drunken haze. He didn't want Axel to stop but he got the feeling that Axel wasn't quite done with him yet.

"That was a little something to get you ready." Axel smiled and pulled Roxas into a sitting position. "Undress me Rox."

Roxas nodded and raised trembling hands to the knot tying Axel's swim trunks into their position at his hips. He undid the thread slowly and grasped the sides. "Do you want me to do the same?"

Axel smiled and shook his head. "No. Tonight is about you and making you feel good. Hopefully the first night of many nights to come. I like you a lot Roxas. I wanna be with you."

Roxas' heart fluttered at Axel's words and he smiled. "I know." He kissed the man softly and caressed his face. "What are we doing now?"

"Let me show you." Axel clasped the boy's hands and pulled him into a standing position. He then crawled onto the bed and positioned himself on his hands and knees. "Alright, now just do what comes naturally."

Roxas stared at Axel, his face pale save for his blushing cheeks. "Are you sure? I mean…"

"Rox, this isn't the first time. It'll be fine." Axel smiled reassuringly. "It's completely normal."

"A-alright." Roxas placed his hands on Axel's hips and forced himself inside. The feeling of pleasure was instant in that warm, soft haven. A small moan escaped his lips and he pulled Axel closer. "I'm not hurting you am I?"

"No, not at all." Axel smiled and rocked his hips in a slow rhythm. "In fact I could handle a lot more."

Roxas groaned as the motion of Axel's hips picked up. He began imitating the man's movements with his own thrusts feeling his body grow more heated with every swift plunge. And then Axel moaned and Roxas could barely contain himself. He stopped all motion and pulled away from Axel. "Isn't there some way we can do this so that I can see your face?"

Axel smiled softly. He'd never once had sex with someone who wanted to be face to face. He rolled onto his back and pulled Roxas close. "Is this better?"

"Yeah." Roxas smiled and forced himself back inside the redhead. He grabbed the back of Axel's head and pulled him into a kiss. He returned to his careful thrusts and stared into those captivating emerald eyes. Everything about Axel at that particular moment was incredibly beautiful to Roxas. The way he moved his hips and the soft moans he let out against Roxas' ear had the boy in a completely euphoric state. And then it dawned upon him. "W-we're having sex, aren't we?"

Axel chuckled and nodded slowly. "Yeah, what did you think?"

"Well, that's what people do when they're in love, right?" Roxas smiled and pressed his lips to Axel's cheek. "We're in love, Axel."

Axel stared at Roxas in astonishment and disbelief. "Do you mean that?"

Roxas paused in all his movements and stared down at the man below him. "How can you ask that? You've taught me more than anyone what its like to be in love. When your heart pounds when you think of someone, or when it aches when they're away. And when you get butterflies when they look at you. When you want to be near them all the time and when they hold you and it feels right. And when you kiss them and suddenly everything makes sense…" Roxas leaned down and kissed Axel softly. "This whole time I knew I was falling in love with you. But it actually happened, didn't it? It happened and I didn't really need to wait as long as I thought I would. I… I love you Axel."

Axel's heart was already pounding. It had been from the moment he'd called Roxas to join him upstairs. But if it was at all possible, it was pounding even faster now. He stared deeply into Roxas' eyes, the sincerity piercing through him. He couldn't have been happier to hear those words. "I love you too Roxas."

"I know." Roxas smiled and pulled Axel against him but he couldn't bring himself to continue their earlier actions. Instead he just kissed the man and held him close. They lay there in each other's arms exploring the other's body with their eyes and hands. After a while Roxas heard a light snore escape Axel's lips and he chuckled. He pressed his lips to the older man's and closed his eyes, letting himself fall asleep as well.


	8. Children in Heat

Holy shit! A chapter that's actually a bit on the shorter side! *breathes* You have no idea how much writing I've been doing. I wanted to get caught up with myself because up until a day ago, this what the most recent chapter I had written. And I was panicking! Cause I'm really trying to stay ahead of the chapters I post.

Ah! Ok, so anyway… This chapter is the next morning after the cutesy wutsey previous chapter. And here is where it gets fun! Remember, Roxas and Axel stopped having sex last chapter before either one of them could finish. And we all know what that can do to boys! ;)

Ha ha.

**So, OHMAIGAWD u gais! The absolutely wonderful Carhilwenne here on ffdotnet drew two WONDERFULLY amazing fanarts on her deviantArt page based off of this story! AHHH! They are amazing! Go! Go look now! Now! Her dA account name is f8e so that would be f8e(dot)deviantart(dot)com (Since ffdotnet likes to disable me from typing urls in here. Bastards.) so go check it out before you read this chapter!**

And because she did those amazing fanarts I would like to dedicate this wonderful smutty chapter (and Roxas' first orgasm) to her! The fanart is just simply amazing and I was too excited for words! I deeply appreciate it. :3

If you don't wanna read smut then stop at "Are you sure you won't be too uncomfortable like this?" and don't pick back up anywhere cause the chapter ends in smutty goodness. YAY!

* * *

Roxas yawned as he felt himself being torn from slumber. His eyes opened to the sight of Axel still sleeping soundly beside him and he smiled. It was dark in the room, clearly morning but the sun had still not broke over the horizon. Everything looked blue except for that fiery red hair beside him. He lay watching Axel for a while, perfect and beautiful in his own way. Roxas wanted to wake him and hold him but he couldn't bring himself to disrupt the man's slumber. Instead he raised his hand to the spiky hair and let his fingers comb through it slowly. This action caused Axel to wake anyhow and Roxas' gaze met with those beautiful greens. "I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry."

Axel smiled and shook his head. "Don't be. There's nothing I like more than waking up to that face."

Roxas blushed lightly and let his hand fall against Axel's cheek. "We had sex last night. It was amazing Axel. It was everything you told me it would be like when its with someone you love. We're really in love with each other, aren't we?"

"I've been in love with you since I met you Rox." Axel laughed lightly and mimicked Roxas by placing his own hand on the boy's cheek. "I've just been waiting for you."

"Yeah." Roxas smiled. "I think I've been waiting for me too…"

"Geeze, will you two shut the fuck up!?" Larxene sat up where she lay on the floor and scowled at the two after glancing at the clock. "It's six in the fucking morning and you two want to prattle on about how much in love you are!? Give me a break! Go back to sleep already!"

"L-Larxene!? What are you doing in here!?" Roxas yanked the covers up around his neck and stared wide eyed at the blonde who sat in her bra and underwear a few feet away.

"This _is_ Marly's old room. Besides, his dad has the massive rule about nobody sleeping in his bedroom so he locks it when he goes out of town. All the other rooms are taken by the other guys and we needed to fuck. You two were passed out so what the hell?" Larxene smirked and cocked an eyebrow at the two in the bed. "So, who topped?"

Axel growled and picked up the discarded Speedo. He chucked it in Larxene's face and grabbed Roxas by the wrist. "Like its any of your business! Come on Rox, the evil queen needs her sleep."

Roxas let Axel lead him out of the room and down the hall. He watched as Axel peered into each room he passed. Sure enough, all were taken. He sighed and shrugged as Axel turned to face him. "Its alright, I'm not that tired anymore anyway. Maybe I should just head home and get a bath."

"You can get a bath here." Axel looked at Roxas sadly. They'd only just spent their first night together after weeks of sexual agony and the thought of parting ways already tore Axel to shreds inside. "Then maybe we could head back to my place and pick up where we left off last night."

Roxas' heart quickened and he smiled knowingly at the redhead. "Hmm, maybe. But I have a better idea. How about you join me in the bath here and we continue?"

"I like the way you think." Axel smiled and pulled Roxas into the bathroom at the end of the hall. The bath itself was more like the size of a hot tub and for this he was thankful. He turned on the water and smiled as he felt Roxas grace his stomach with his fingers. The boy was all too eager to continue their previous venture and Axel had the same sentiment. He pulled his new lover into the tub, kissing a path up his neck as the water filled around them. "I love you Roxas."

"I love you too Axel." Roxas smiled and pressed his lips to the older man's collar bone. Axel let out a soft moan that sent Roxas reeling. He made a mental note to try and learn to control his instinctual urges whenever Axel's vocalization of pleasure was involved. His hands quickly found their way to Axel's hips and he pulled the man closer. "Are you sure you won't be too uncomfortable like this?"

"I'll be fine." Axel smiled and let his hands slide up the boy's chest and neck into his hair. He wrapped a leg around the blond's waist and positioned himself for easy entry. "Don't be afraid to get rough with me Roxy."

Roxas laughed nervously and forced himself inside Axel's awaiting cavity slowly. "I don't know about all that. I just want to make the best of our time. This is special to me." He let out a soft sigh as he completely penetrated Axel's core and smiled at the older man. "Besides, after what you did to me last night I thought I was going to die. I could hardly breath and my whole body was shaking. It was scary."

Axel chuckled and rocked his hips against Roxas' tiny thrusts. "It's called an orgasm Rox, don't tell me you've never had one." He smirked widely at the blushing boy knowing full well the chances of the boy even knowing how to give himself an orgasm were slim to none, let alone even knowing what an orgasm was. "You haven't, have you? And we stopped before I could make you cum last night. Well that settles it then…" Axel used his size against the boy to quickly turn the tables. He shifted around so that it was Roxas who lay pinned against the edge of the tub, totally unable to move and subject to Axel's every whim. He lowered himself back onto Roxas, the water now washing against their stomachs. But he was too busy to concern himself with the faucet. His goal was to give Roxas pure pleasure. He began in slow rhythm watching with interest the confused and almost concerned look on Roxas' face. "Just relax. Don't think about it, just feel it."

Roxas stared up at Axel and swallowed hard. With Axel in control, it gave Roxas both reason to relax and to panic. On one hand, he didn't have to worry about messing anything up and making a fool of himself. But on the other hand, Axel still intimidated Roxas to no end. Even when they had first began making out Roxas was in a state of constant panic. His nerves were constantly shot leaving him feeling paranoid and out of control. And yet, he loved it. He felt the same way the previous night when Axel had taken it upon himself to orally prepare Roxas for sex. He felt like he was walking on a mile high tight wire between sanity and absolute sinful bliss and although he was pretty certain of the path he wanted to take, he was still unsure of himself. But with Axel at the helm, there was no choice for Roxas. It was a straight dive down into one hundred percent unadulterated chaotic pleasure and the boy was unsure if he could handle it.

Now was as good a time as any to find out…

Roxas let his hands fall to those perfectly curved hips and he wrapped his fingers in the delicate flesh there. Axel's movements had quickened significantly. Feeling the older man ontop of him grinding down as hard as he could was just about all Roxas could handle. The feeling of the soft warmth wrapped around him brought hot flash after hot flash to his entire body. And then he heard Axel let out a beautiful low moan and he was unable to breathe. He learched forward and grabbed Axel by the back of his neck, pulling him into a passionate kiss before he could moan again. He pulled away panting and stared into those emerald eyes. "A-axel, you can't make noises like that! It makes it hard for me to breathe, to think, t-to even function."

Axel chuckled and leaned down to lick tauntingly at Roxas' ear. "That's the point Roxy, baby. Why even bother having sex with me if I can't drive you wild with every little thing I do?" He smiled as he nipped playfully at the boy's bottom lip and let out another soft moan. "Damn, watching you squirm is so fucking hot. I think maybe I can get used to this dominance thing." He rolled his hips down hard and grabbed Roxas' hand, pulling it from its perch on his hip and moving it to his neglected hard on. "Wrap your hand around it and pump. Like this." He led the boy in a quick demonstration and smiled as he quickly caught on. He stared down into those half lidded blue eyes. It was clear Roxas was on the verge of completely losing himself and Axel didn't want to be left behind so he let himself relax and succumb to the waves of pleasure.

Roxas gasped for breath as he continued to vigorously pump the older man's length. The water was up at his neck and quickly overflowing the tub but neither he nor Axel cared enough to turn the faucet off. They were both too caught in their moment of pleasure. He looked up at Axel, his head spinning with a dizziness similar to a drunken stupor. The redhead's gaze was intense and his face was flushed nearly the color of his hair. And then Roxas felt the muscle in his hand begin to twitch violently as the older man moaned and whimpered a string of curses. Roxas could feel Axel's core pulsing around him. The sensation coupled by Axel's vocal pleasure and his beautiful sweat stained face brought Roxas to a world of complete disarray. His body flashed hot and cold and his breath was so shallow he wasn't even sure if he was taking in air at all. And then he felt it. An undeniable explosion. Instinctively he clung to Axel and gasped for breath against the man's chest as he rode out the shockwaves they were both experiencing.

Axel smiled down at Roxas as the boy sat panting, eyes closed against the edge of the tub. Noticing that the water was now out of control he shut off the faucet and pushed the drain button on the side of the tub. He then climbed slowly off of the boy's lap and whimpered at the sudden empty feeling. But his concern was for Roxas. He touched his lover's heated face gently and cooed to him. "How you doin' Roxy?"

Roxas peeked one eye open to glance at Axel as he tried hard to regain his breath. The sight of the man brought back every bit of need he felt only minutes ago. He yanked Axel closer and forced his mouth against the soft flesh of his neck. He sucked lightly and then moved his mouth to the redhead's ear. "Whatever you just did… I want more. Tonight."


	9. Shining

Ah, I love this time of year! Bundling up in my PJs and blanket and drinking whiskey filled Egg Nog while I write smutty fanfiction. Ahh, the wonderful time of the year that is Winter!

This chapter doesn't have much going on. Just the kids hanging out some more, but there is an important development toward the end. Its a bit on the mushy side, which someone mentioned they didn't like so I'm sorry. But just cause they're punk kids doesn't mean they can't be romantic and lovey. Also, it was previously my intention to use only song titles from the Old Misfits as chapter titles but seeing how this story is growing beyond what I expected I think I'm going to use New Misfits titles as well. Not the same era of Misfits but still very good music.

Geeze, this story is only barely getting started! AHHH!

Again, I don't condone underage drinking, no matter how fun it is. *snicker*

I most certainly do not condone driving while intoxicated however. That is one thing I won't joke about. It is very serious to me. I lost three friends in high school in one night all because they decided to get into a car with a drunk man behind the wheel. If there is one thing I could never stress enough (and at the risk of sounding preachy) do yourself and others a favor. Don't drink and drive, ever. One beer or five, it doesn't matter. You could kill yourself, your friends, your family or a perfect stranger. Its not worth it, friends, it just isn't.

And don't smoke cigarettes. They're bad for you, unattractive, stinky and did I mention deadly? Kissing a smoker isn't like licking an ash tray though. Its more like chewing on a soggy used cigarette you found in the gutter outside your house on a rainy day.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter! Its another short one.

* * *

"So, it's been two weeks." Larxene cast a glance at Axel as he walked past her carrying an icebox. "When are you going to tell us?"

Axel glowered at Larxene and sat the heavy container down in the sand. He knew what she was talking about, she never shut up about it. But he would play stupid for sanity's sake and pray that she continued to beat around the bush. Unfortunately that was never, ever her style. "Tell you what Larxene? There's nothing to tell."

"Bullshit." Larxene narrowed her eyes on the redhead before turning her gaze to his approaching blond boyfriend. "What about you, Señor Sassy Pants? You ready to give me the goods or not?"

Roxas rolled his eyes as he unloaded a twelve-pack of beer bottles into the icebox and crushed the cardboard under his feet. "Like Axel said, there's nothing to tell. We don't know what you're talking about."

Zexion scowled at Larxene from over the edge of his book and huffed. "Really Lar, let it go. You may want to know but I think the rest of us would sleep just fine having that information withheld. We'd sleep better, in fact."

"Nobody asked you, midget fuck!" Larxene flipped off the short man who quickly returned her sentiment and fell back into his book. She then turned her gaze back to the two settling down into the sand together. "Tell me already or I'll get ahold of your mom, Axel."

Axel snorted and rolled his eyes. "Go ahead. Nothing she can do about it now anyway."

"Uhg! Damn it, just tell me! I can't stand it anymore!" Larxene threw her finger in the direction of the couple and screeched loudly. "Tell me which one of you is fucking the other! This is detrimental to my fucking sanity, alright!? Tell me!"

"Sanity?" Roxas smirked up at Larxene. "Since when did you ever have anything akin to sanity Lar?"

"Ha ha, real cute." Larxene crossed her arms and stared at the two. "I'll find out one way or the other. You can't escape that."

"Look, you know she'll never shut up until you tell her." Demyx chuckled and grabbed a beer out of the icebox. His eyes fell on Axel and he smirked. "Besides, I'm curious to know if you defiled my poor, innocent kid cousin."

Roxas gave Demyx the finger. "Fuck you. Poor and innocent my ass! You're just tired of hearing her go on and on about it like the rest of us are. But we'll never hear the end of it either way so why tell her? At least this way the rest of you have to suffer along with us."

"That's cowardly and low, Roxas." Demyx tossed the bottle cap from his beer at his cousin who regretfully dodged it. "Can't you take one for the team?"

Larxene smiled wickedly. "I'm willing to bet he already does. Bet he takes it hard too."

Roxas flashed his most charming smile at the blonde woman and batted his eyes. "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. But you'll never know and that kills you."

"Go drown in the ocean you little fag." Larxene took the bottle cap from her beer and chucked it in the boy's direction, missing him by a bigger margin than Demyx had.

Axel smiled and wrapped his arm around Roxas. "Look, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that we're here having beer at the beach as a group of friends and nobody is going to get arrested this time, right Mar?"

Marluxia snickered and cradled his half empty bottle of vodka. "Look, I can't make any promises. I didn't think I was too drunk to drive last time but apparently the CHP officer who pulled me over didn't agree. It's not my fault his breathalyzer was faulty. How was I supposed to know it would give a .19 reading?"

"Damn. That's high Mar." Axel chuckled and shook his head. "Did it ever occur to you though, that just maybe it wasn't your blood alcohol content level? That maybe it was the fact that you're not even twenty-one yet?"

"Details, details." Marluxia snorted and stroked his bottle lovingly. "It doesn't matter, my dad managed to keep me from getting my license suspended so it's all good."

"Spoiled fucking rotten, that's what you are." Axel took a sip of his beer and sighed. "You're never going to learn from your mistakes Marly. Not until its too late."

"I don't make mistakes. I only make perfections." Marluxia smiled and unscrewed the cap on his vodka, taking a quick gulp before slamming it down into the sand and standing to strip off his shirt. "Let's go swimming!"

"Hmm…" Axel glanced at Marluxia and sighed. "Drunk swimming in the ocean at night. Yeah, I don't see how that's at all dangerous."

"Lighten up Ax, he's not that far gone yet." Demyx stood and pulled off his own clothes. "Besides, a swim sounds like fun. Come on, even Zex and Lex are stripping down!"

"You guys go ahead. We'll catch up in a minute. There's something I need to talk to Roxas about." Axel waved Demyx off and once his friend was far out of earshot he turned his attention to Roxas. "Good, finally a moment alone."

Roxas smiled and let his hand fall onto Axel's. "You know, if you wanted to have some alone time we could have just stayed at your place instead of coming out here."

"See, that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about." Axel looked down at his hand holding Roxas' and smiled. He was nervous, and rightfully so. What he was about to ask of Roxas could be potentially wonderful or potentially horrible depending on his answer. It would either strengthen their bond or push them very far apart but he couldn't wait much longer to act upon his desires. "So, I know we haven't been official for that long, but we've kinda known how we have felt about each other for longer than that so I guess it sorta balances out."

Roxas looked up at Axel and nodded. "Yeah?"

"Well, so I was thinking, you know, you and I don't really get to spend a whole lot of time together. We live quite a ways apart from each other and the only times we see each other is when we're all hanging out as friends." Axel swallowed hard and began shifting his feet nervously, Roxas' eyes never leaving him for even a second. "And I, well… I miss seeing you privately. We haven't had a lot of alone time. Now that summer is coming to an end everybody is wanting to get in as much time together as possible before college starts back up. Only Zex and Lex are going back to school but still. They want us to all be together, and that's cutting into you and me time."

Roxas nodded slowly. "Yeah, I noticed that too."

Axel smiled softly and rubbed the back of his neck briskly. "So, I had this crazy idea. I know it may seem sudden but I really think that it can work. We get along so well and I'm sure living with your aunt can't be all that fun and you're so far away from us all and I think that… I really want… I…" Axel sighed and grasped Roxas' hands in his own tightly. "Roxas, will you move into the apartment with me?"

Roxas stared at Axel in shock. Those words were the last thing he had expected to come from Axel's mouth. He was so sure Axel was only going to ask if he wanted to sneak off to find some private time. This however took him completely off guard. He looked into those panicked green eyes as they searched his face for any form of an answer. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Axel, I don't…"

"Oh geeze, oh god." Axel grabbed his head in his hands and stared at the ground. "I knew it was too soon! I knew I should have just kept my mouth shut! Look Rox, I'm not trying to pressure you and I don't want you to think I'm trying to move too fast! I just thought that if…"

"Shh." Roxas pressed his mouth against Axel's and kissed him deeply. He pushed the redhead to lay back in the sand as he straddled him with a smile. "Axel, I didn't say no. In fact, I like the idea a lot. I can be there to make you breakfast before you go to work and dinner when you come home. And on nights when you aren't too tired we can spend some much needed time in the bedroom." He smirked and traced a finger down Axel's chest and stomach. "I've missed how much time we used to spend alone together, even when we could only be friends. I want it back. So yes, Axel, I'll move into the apartment with you."

Axel smiled brightly and wrapped his arms around Roxas. "I'm glad." He rolled the boy over onto his back and kissed his lips softly. "I love you Rox."

"I love you too Axel." Roxas smiled and began tugging at his lover's clothes to get them off. "Come on, let's go swim with the others before they all start nagging us."

"Alright." Axel stood and pulled Roxas up with him. He agreed to go swimming but it wasn't what he wanted. His head was buzzing with excitement and all he wanted was to get Roxas back home. Back to _their_ home that they would now share together. His heart was pounding and all he could think about was what life was going to be like now with Roxas constantly at his side. Waking up with Roxas every morning and kissing him goodnight each night was something Axel had been longing for ever since they'd spent their first night together as an official couple. Now it would be a reality and it was all he could think about as he and Roxas stripped down to their underwear and rushed toward the waves.


	10. Return of the Fly

So I dunno what got into me yesterday. Maybe boredom and a spark of inspiration. But I sat at the computer ALL DAY yesterday and wrote. I wrote SO MUCH in fact that I got way ahead in chapters and so I'm feeling like its ok to go ahead and post a second chapter this weekend.

OMG. I know, right? I NEVER do that! But I feel like it.

_**To address some reviews**_:

1) Ha ha, yeah the whole Axel kneeling down and pulling out the key to his apartment thing flashed through my head too. Hee hee hee!

2) I'm glad that I can be an inspiration to some. I _do_ put a lot into my writing and my goal is to make it feel as real as possible. But you guys are also an inspiration to me too! Without my fans I'd probably just stop writing in a story whenever I got writer's block and just say to hell with it, but you guys keep me going!

3) There's one thing I don't think I've been very clear about. I'd like to clarify that now. I have a policy that since the goal of choosing Organization XIII for this series was to (in my own weird, sadistic way) give them "another life" through my writing, I will only include The Nobodies in my fics. (And that means NO Xion! She wasn't a Nobody, she was an imperfect clone! Fuck her, she doesn't count.) Its no secret that I LOVE the Nobodies so much and my heart breaks that none of them (Roxas and Naminé aside) got to become whole. So why include other characters from the series like that douche bag Sora or Riku? They've got their lives they get to live! But the Nobodies never got to have another life! They never got to feel joy and pleasure or pain and anguish. So my goal is to give them that. And in doing so the ONLY characters will be the Nobodies themselves. Sure, there are mentions of mothers and fathers and maybe even the occasional sibling (haven't actually done that yet) but you will never meet them in the stories. They will never have a speaking part or a real description of what they look like because original characters have no place in this series. (I have KH OCs but you won't find them here.) So I'm sorry if you were looking forward to meeting any of the parents or even thought I might cast other KH characters as parents because I'm not. (Although Aerith and Cloud would be a GREAT mom and dad for Roxas. Ha ha!)

4) I know that the last couple chapters have seemed like they could be THE END but don't worry! This story is FAR from its end! That much I can promise. And really, you have no cause to be concerned about it ending until somebody dies. It just isn't one of my stories until SOMEBODY dies. But even then, that usually only marks the half way or ¾ point in one of my stories. So don't panic just yet. ;)

Yeah, ok. I'm sure you wanna grab me and shake me and yell "WHO'S GONNA DIE!?" now. But come on, if you've read either of my previous fics in this series you know I can't get out of killing at least ONE person (though its usually more) so don't be surprised. And I'm pretty sure this story will have a lower death toll than Chronophilia Complex (five deaths) so no worries!

About this chapter, its short. But its easily my second favorite chapter that I've written for this story so far. Only surpassed by the upcoming Chapter 12 which will be titled "Violent World." If there is a chapter to read, my friends, that will be it! GNEEEEEE! So excited!

So enjoy this chapter. It's getting interesting now. FWEE!

* * *

"So, that's the last of everything. Of course, I didn't have a whole lot to begin with." Roxas smiled as he carried his last box of clothes through the door of his new home. He'd been officially staying there every day for the past week but had only just today realized how badly he needed his clothes. He carried the cardboard box into the bedroom he now shared with Axel and began filling the empty spots in drawers and closet space that Axel had made for him. Once the last bit of clothing was tucked away he smiled and came back out into the living room where Demyx sat with Axel. "And I'm officially moved in. Thanks for helping me Dem."

"No prob. Gotta get mom's car back before she wakes up and realizes I took it though." Demyx chuckled and swallowed his stale piece of bubble gum, replacing it instantly with another. "So, you tell the old lady you moved out or are you leaving her in the dark like your parents?"

"No, I wrote her a note. We barely saw each other in passing so its not like she'll miss me around the house or anything." Roxas shrugged and took up his half empty beer bottle from the coffee table in the center of the room. "I left the note on her door so she'll see it eventually."

Demyx nodded slowly. "She'll be sad. She likes having another person around the house, even if she's never there at the same time as them." He sighed and popped a bubble before waving to Roxas and Axel. "Well, I better get headed back with her car now. Its almost six and she has to be up in an hour to get to work. I'll see you shits around some time."

"See ya Dem, thanks." Axel smiled and closed and locked the door behind his friend as he exited and then turned to Roxas. "So, you're officially moved in!"

"Mmm hmm." Roxas smiled and wrapped his arms around Axel as the older man advanced to kiss him. "You feel up to celebrating?"

"I'm always happy to celebrate." Axel laughed lightly against Roxas' ear and lifted the boy off the floor enough to cart him easily toward the couch. Once they reached the worn out piece of furnature he layed Roxas down carefully and knelt above him. "Remember that first night we met? We fell asleep on this couch together."

Roxas chuckled. "Yeah and you drooled on me the next morning and put me in a panic." He raised his hand to Axel's cheek and rubbed it gently. "But look at us now. Just a few months later and we're perfectly happy and in love. Its so funny, when I first came to California I was worried I'd be miserable and alone and I thought I'd hate it. But my life here is so perfect. I have you and we have our friends and nobody telling us what to do. I've learned more in life experience these past weeks than I would have learned in years at a university. Its great."

"Life is pretty good right now, isn't it?" Axel smiled and kissed Roxas. "I'm really glad we met Roxas. You're a special person to me and nothing can change that."

"Good." Roxas began unbuckling Axel's belt as he kissed a trail up the man's neck. His hands worked at tugging down the tight acid wash jeans that clung to the redhead's hips while his mouth worked and enticing vocalized pleasure from the man. "Ah, you know I hate these pants. What do you do, sew yourself into them each time? I'm getting ready to take a knife to them just to get them off of you."

"No way! Not my favorite pair of jeans!" Axel laughed and helped Roxas tug them down. "You just gotta know how to work them."

"How about you just not wear any pants at all when we're home alone?" Roxas smiled and began unbuckling his own belt and pants when suddenly there came a knock at the door. "Uhg. What the hell? Demyx must have forgot something. I'll throttle him!" Roxas wormed his way out from under Axel who was mostly undressed now and was in no condition to answer the door. He considered refastening his pants and belt, but why bother? If Demyx found the image disturbing then maybe it would teach him a lesson about disturbing them when they were alone. He unlocked the door and pulled it open and started to speak but stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes met with an unfamiliar face. Before him stood a boy about his age with long blue hair and a deadly gaze, two bags of luggage in hand. He made a mental note of the awesome looking Dead Kennedys t-shirt that the boy was wearing and decided to ask where he got it if he had the chance later. "Can I help you?"

Saïx's eyes narrowed on Roxas as he stepped forward. "Look, if you're going to be a guest in my brother's apartment then the first thing you need to know is that this door never gets locked, ever. Don't _ever_ lock it again."

Roxas stared at Saïx in confusion before what he said registered in his mind. This was Axel's brother that he'd heard so much about. Marluxia had called the boy "mommy's little fly on the wall" because apparently everything Axel did in his pressence went right back to their mother. His face paled as he remembered that he had neglected to do up his pants or belt and here he stood before the boy who would tell Axel's mother everything. Then his brain processed all that Saïx had said when he addressed him. This caused Roxas to huff quietly as his hand instinctively went to zip up his fly. "I wasn't the one that…"

Saïx brushed past Roxas before he could finish talking and stepped into the apartment, dropping his bags where he stood. His gaze fell on Axel who lay on the couch shirtless and pulling up his pants. "Oh, I see whats happening here."

"Saïx! Wh-what are you doin' here!?" Axel blushed at being interrupted by his younger brother and stood to greet him with a hug. "I thought you were with dad."

Saïx returned his brother's hug and cast a warning gaze at the blond who stood only a few feet away. "Another blond?"

Axel chuckled nervously and motioned toward Roxas. "Ha! Yeah, this is Roxas. He's my lover, and he's also living here. So, anyway… I thought you were with dad."

Saïx's stare turned from spiteful to all out feral. "And what makes him so special that you'd let him move in?"

"Well, for one I am in love with him." Axel moved to stand beside Roxas and wrapped an arm around him proudly. "He is special to me, and I am special to him. We make each other happy."

Saïx continued to glare at the blond, fury boiling up inside of him. "You told me that you'd let _me_ move in after I turned eighteen and was done visiting dad!"

"W-well yeah, we said that. But Saï, I thought that was just something you said because you were angry at mom that one night." Axel looked to his brother apologetically. "We only ever talked about it that once and we were both piss ass drunk. I didn't think you were serious."

"I was." Saïx turned his eyes to Axel and he crossed his arms. "And I come back and find out you already moved somebody else in. I guess blood isn't as thick as muddy, disease infected swamp water afterall."

"Hey now, let's be fair." Axel crossed his arms to counter his brother's stance. "I haven't heard a word from you all Summer! For all I knew, you were going to stay with dad and live in Vegas. You'd mentioned doing something like that too. And it isn't like you can't move in. Just because Roxas is here doesn't mean you can't be here too. In fact, I'm sure he'd appreciate some company throughout the day while I'm at work."

Roxas looked to Axel in a panic but didn't say a word. He had just met Saïx but he'd heard enough horror stories about him to know he didn't want to be left alone with him for a second. Despite being a punk kid, he was apparently a self righteous miniature version of his mother with a tendancy to throw temper tantrums when things didn't go his way. Already Roxas knew that they would not get along. Not even Marluxia got along with him, and Marluxia got along with _everyone_. He was also obviously protective of Axel, much like Demyx had been, only clearly less kind about it. Roxas was already silently praying that Saïx would throw a fit and storm out of the apartment. But he could never be so lucky.

"Fine. I'll stay, if only to make sure that things go smoothly." Saïx turned his eyes back to Roxas and he scowled dangerously. "I'd hate to see anyone get hurt."

Roxas took offense to Saïx's words knowing full well what he was implying. He took Axel's hand in his own and stared hard at the other boy. "Yeah, well that's the last thing any of us wants."

Axel looked between his brother and his lover, their negativity toward each other nearly visible merely by their mutual glare. He forced a chuckle and wrapped his arms around both boys. "We'll be one happy little family. So let's loosen up guys and just have fun. Alright?"

Roxas looked from Axel to Saïx and nodded with a smirk. "Fine."

Saïx glared straight ahead, his eyes never leaving Roxas for even a second. "Fine."


	11. Angelfuck

**Happy Thanksgiving!**

**Here's a Thanksgiving feast for you! Two, count 'em! TWO CHAPTERS! All for you guys!**

Ha ha ha! Enter Saïx, stage right! Oh man, nothing like a little brother to ruin the mood, am I right? If you've been subjected to my Saïx before, you know just what a snobby little bitch he can be. It mostly stems from how I viewed him in KHII but especially now that I've played 358/2 and I now know HE was the one that had Axel kill Vexen and (well, indirectly) Zexion… I kinda hate him a little bit more than I ever did.

But still, yeah. My version of Saïx in this story is still vastly different than the Saïx you saw in Die Hohlen Kosten des Lebens (assuming you read that one) so don't jump to hating him _just yet_. I have a feeling you'll grow to at least tolerate this version of him a bit more. He's still just a (now) 18 year old kid with a lot of life lessons to learn.

About this chapter, it sure was fun to write. The thing I love most is that the kind of car Marluxia drives is the same car my grandma had when I was a little girl, same year and color, everything. So what occurs there later makes me giggle to no end. Remember that song, _Heaven is in the Backseat of my Cadillac_? I can totally see Marly blaring that as he's trying to score with some chicks in his pimp ass luxury car.

Ha ha, ok so there's smut ahoy! Stop at "Damn Rox." and pick back up at "Was that alright?" if you want to avoid it. (But seriously though, I'm beginning to wonder. Who would read my fanfiction for anything BUT smut? Seriously.)

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

"Oh man! What a riot!" Marluxia giggled in his drunken stupor and kicked his legs wildly. "And I bet you haven't gotten laid since the little fly moved in! Talk about a pain in the ass!"

Roxas rolled his eyes and sipped his beer slowly. "Tell me about it. Its so frustrating! And I'm not even talking about sex! I mean, I can't even walk into a room without worrying about if he's going to be in it, glaring at me like some evil dog waiting to attack!" He took another swig of his beer, this time much bigger than the last, and grumbled. "I understand he's protective of Axel. That's his brother and he doesn't want to see him hurt, but damn it, he hasn't even made an effort to give me a chance!"

"And he never will." Larxene made a snort sound and took a drag off her cigarette. "The solution is simple! Its time to use your leverage. Ask Axel to kick him out. You've got the power over him so why not fucking use it?"

"I can't do that. He's Axel's brother and he loves him. I'd feel guilty if he had to choose and he chose me. Relationships grow and die but family is forever. I'm not saying Axel and I won't last, but there is always the chance of that happening. But no matter what, he and Saïx will _always_ be brothers." Roxas sighed sadly. "I don't even like talking like that. Nothing could come between Axel and I but still. It's just so infuriating! Axel and I can hardly even be intimate with each other. And while he's at work I'm nearly petrified to come out of the bedroom. The _only_ plus side is that him being there has forced me to get out and about and hang with you guys more often. Especially now that you're within bussing distance."

"Yeah, it's kinda cool having you around." Marluxia smiled and motioned to Larxene. "She won't admit it but I think she likes having you around more too."

"Do not!" Larxene tossed her bottle cap at Marluxia and pegged him in the head. "Don't be spreading filthy lies about me. I can't stand the twerp!"

Roxas chuckled at the two. Being around friends made him smile and especially being at his new favorite place made all his problems seem to melt away. He loved the beach. It was the one place that he could go that Saïx was simply not allowed to tag along. He could be there, happy listening to the waves and the small drunken rants of his friends and just pretend that his whole happy existence hadn't been turned upside down for the past week. "This is the last time we'll all be together like this, isn't it?"

Marluxia looked to Roxas in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean like this, here at the beach. Happy, all seven of us." Roxas looked down into his beer feeling a bit distraught. "The new semester starts next week and Lex and Zex are both going to school. Soon they'll be too busy to hit the beach with us, and soon the weather won't be worth coming to the beach at all."

"Well, yeah but there's always next Summer. Geeze Rox, don't be such a downer." Marluxia unscrewed the lid on his vodka and took a long sip. He swallowed it in satisfaction and sat up. "Look, you're letting Saïx get to you too much. Just because he's miserable and hates the world, doesn't mean you have to let him bring you down. Seriously, I would start thinking about using that power you have over Axel to at least influence him to consider the situation you guys are in. He can't be happy either."

"He's in absolute bliss. Saïx and I play nice when Axel is around so as far as he knows, we're best friends. He's happy to just have his brother and his lover under the same roof. He considers us a family." Roxas chuckled and shook his head. "Some family."

"Hey, shh." Marluxia motioned behind Roxas as Axel, Demyx and Zexion came trudging up. "The beer buddies are back! Yay! Did you buy me more vodka!?"

Zexion handed a bottle into Marluxia's grabbing hands as he walked past him. "That vodka costs more than my college tuition. You better enjoy it, Prince."

"Oh, sour puss! It's not that expensive." Marluxia smiled at Zexion and batted his eyes. "Thanks Zexy-wexy!"

"Stop calling me that." Zexion growled and dropped down into his normal spot where his book sat. "Go ahead now, get nice and shitfaced before we all pile into your car to drive back home."

"Look, its not my fault you're too short to reach the gas pedal in a car to get your driver's license Zex." Marluxia smiled and stuck his tongue out at his friend who returned his action with a middle finger. "Ooh, so grumpy."

Roxas watched the exchange with delight and chuckled. His friends always made him happy, even when they were ragging on him. Whenever he was with them it made all his concerns go away and he couldn't help but smile. He didn't want this night to end.

Axel plopped down beside Roxas and watched him watching the others. He sat silently for a moment before clearing his throat and smiling softly. "That's the biggest smile I've seen on your face in a while."

"Uh? Oh…" Roxas looked to Axel and took a drink of his beer as he shrugged. "Nah, I'm always smiling."

"That's a lie Rox." Axel sighed and looked down at the ground. "Ever since Saïx moved in I can tell you haven't been happy. Sure, you pretend to be content but you're not. You shouldn't have to pretend. I'm sorry. I didn't expect him to just move in but he's my brother and I can't turn him away."

"I know. And I'd never ask you to." Roxas grabbed Axel's hand and held it tightly. "I love you Axel and I want you to be happy. Having us both there makes you happy. That's all that matters to me."

"But that isn't all that matters to _me_. How can I be happy knowing you're not?" Axel shook his head. "I don't know what to do."

Roxas laughed lightly and sighed. "I don't know either. I wish you didn't have to work, then at least I could be around you more. Even with Saïx there, that's better than nothing."

"So then…" Axel paused in thought before a bright smile blossomed onto his face. "It would be _even better_ if Saïx wasn't around."

Roxas furrowed his brow and nodded. "Well yeah, but we already established that you can't just kick him out."

Axel grinned and looked to his lover. "Roxas, what do you know about auto repair?"

Roxas' look of confusion deepened. "Auto repair? Well, nothing really. Why?"

"Nevermind, that's not really important." Axel smiled and chugged his beer quickly. "I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier! My boss' niece is the secretary at the shop but she's moving to New York to go to school. We don't necessarily _need_ a secretary but Xaldin is kinda lazy when it comes to filing his own paperwork and we still need somebody to answer the phone while he's out of the office which is pretty much all the time! It's prefect! I bet I can get you that job. You can go to work with me and you'll be off when I'm off. We'll be near each other all day."

Roxas smiled as he turned the idea over in his head. He'd been wanting to get a job for a while but with no mode of transportation other than the bus he'd been hesitant to try. But this was perfect and it would put him right alongside his lover. "Alright! Yeah, let's see if I can get the job! I'll finally be able to see you hard at work." Roxas grinned, the image of actually seeing Axel all greased up and working on cars suddenly penetrated his mind entirely.

"Uhg." Larxene rolled her eyes and lit up another cigarette as Marluxia took her already glowing one from her hand. "Can you two get anymore sickeningly co-dependant?"

Roxas gave Larxene the finger and stood, pulling Axel up with him. He lead the older man away from the group and toward Marluxia's car. Thankfully, though stupidly, Marluxia never locked his car doors. Roxas was counting on this. Once they reached the Cadillac Coupe Deville he opened the back door and pulled Axel inside.

Axel watched Roxas in awe as the boy began undressing quickly. "What are we doing?"

"What do you think?" Roxas smirked and pulled his pants down around his ankles. "Let's have sex. Marly won't care."

"Bullshit!" Axel stripped his jacket off and laid it down over the seats. "Sex on his precious leather seats? He'll kill us!"

"Fuck his precious leather seats! The studs on your jacket will do more damage than anything. Besides, he's to drunk to even know where we went." Roxas threw the jacket to the floor of the interior and began yanking at Axel's belt. "Come on, its been a week and I'm so needy right now. Just thinking about you working on cars, grease smudged on your face and your grimy, sexy hands all over my body." Roxas smiled as the belt came undone in his hands and he worked at the zipper and button.

"Damn, Rox." Axel groaned as he aided Roxas in removing his clothes. He pulled his pants down and grabbed onto Roxas' waist, pulling the boy to kneel on the seat rather than the floorboard of the car. "Hold on, let me get you ready before we go any further."

"Alright." Roxas hissed as Axel lowered his head to engulf him in that hot, inviting mouth. He let his head fall back, his hands busy entwining themselves in the spiky red locks of his lover. That tongue, amazing and quick as it was, had him entirely slick with saliva in a matter of seconds. He felt Axel pull away and he knew it was time. He watched as his lover turned around to kneel on his hands and knees. Roxas grabbed Axel's hips and pressed his length against the awaiting cavity. He entered quickly and smiled as Axel let out a low moan. "Mmm, damn you feel good Ax."

Axel chuckled and rolled his hips against Roxas' slowly to tease the boy who was now thrusting relentlessly. "Who would have thought you'd end up being such a nymphomaniac?"

Roxas slowed his pace so that he and Axel met somewhere in the middle with their rhythm. "Nah, I'm not a nymphomaniac. It's just been so long."

"A week isn't that long." Axel smirked. "I'd hate to see how you'd deal with a month or two without it."

"Don't even joke." Roxas pressed his mouth against his lover's ear and nibbled gently. "You'd be going out of your mind too, don't act like you wouldn't."

"You're probably right." Axel laughed and glanced at Roxas from over his shoulder. "Rox, you know I love you, right?"

Roxas smiled and nodded. "Of course. I'll never doubt that." He wrapped his arms around Axel's midriff and kissed a trail along his shoulder to his neck. "And I love you." Roxas let his hands roam over Axel's chest as he continued his plunges deep inside the other man. He could feel with each thrust Axel's reception to it growing more and more intense. He could hear the faint moans and whimpers of pleasure that the redhead was trying to swallow down and he watched with a strange sense of satisfaction as his lover practically clawed at the leather seats on which they knelt. "You don't have to keep quiet Ax, I don't mind this time. We shouldn't try to last long anyway incase the others come looking for us."

"A-alright." Axel breathed a sigh of relief and moved his hand to his own erection. He felt like if he had to keep silent one more second he would explode. He groaned as Roxas batted his hand away and took control over his needy appendage. "Mmph. B-be careful. I don't wanna get any on the seats."

Roxas chuckled lightly as his hand worked its way up and down Axel's length. "Wouldn't that just be priceless though?"

"Oh no, it would have a price. However much it would cost for Marluxia to replace the seats." Axel sighed and suppressed his urgency to orgasm. "Look, you finish. I'll just whack off later."

"Now that doesn't seem very fair." Roxas smirked as he quickened his pace and brought himself to climax inside Axel. He then grabbed his lover's shoulders and pulled him up to his knees. "Turn around."

"What?" Axel slowly managed to maneuver around so that he was facing Roxas. He opened his mouth to question the boy further but his breath was taken away when the youth dropped his head down and plunged his fingers deep inside his still needy cavity. "R-roxy!"

Roxas took Axel in his mouth with a devious smile and stared up into his lover's beautiful green gaze. He worked at probing inside the redhead, watching his eyes for every hint of pleasure while his tongue taunted and teased the tip of the quivering member in his mouth. It was a technique Axel himself often used on Roxas and now he was all too happy to return the slight torment. He then moved his mouth to take Axel in completely but this action seemed to destroy every bit of resolve Axel had. Roxas felt and tasted Axel's release at the back of his throat and instinctively he swallowed without thought. He knew if he thought too long on it, he might actually be sick. But Axel did this for him on occasion, so why not return the favor? He pulled away and smirked up at the redhead who stared down at him scarcely breathing. "Was that alright?"

Axel grasped Roxas' face in his hands and pulled the blond into a passionate kiss. He pulled away panting and rested his head on the boy's shoulder. "That was so hot Rox. But you didn't have to do that."

"Sure I did. Couldn't let you go without." He smiled and pressed his lips against Axel's cheek. He opened his mouth to tell Axel just how much he loved him but he was cut off by a loud shriek coming from outside of the car. His eyes darted to the nearest window to see Marluxia staring at them horrified. Roxas chuckled and reached instantly for his pants. "Ha ha. Oops…"


	12. Violent World

**HAPPY THANKSGIVING! The TWO CHAPTER FEAST continues!**

This chapter. OOOOOOOOOH! THIS CHAPTER! Hands down, my favorite that I've written so far. It's so super wonderful and awesome! Roxas is totally kick ass in this chapter. I love, love, love him in this! I wish he was _my_ boyfriend after this chapter. Ha ha ha!

I won't talk much about this chapter, except to say that the title is very appropriate. You'll see what I mean. Now I must go help with the feast of food in the kitchen. Enjoy part two of your literary feast!

Oh, and remember! A stream of exclamations points in a conversation mean they're shouting over the music. Not exclaiming anything. ;)

* * *

"So, how are we gonna do this?" Marluxia said staring at the group before him. "Who's getting sandwiched between me and Lar in the front?"

"I call my seat." Zexion said quickly. "Just cause I'm the smallest doesn't mean I'm going to get stuck up front with you two."

Lexaeus sighed. "I'd offer, but I don't even know that I could fit up front."

"No way I'm gonna sit cramped!" Demyx looked between Roxas and Saïx. "It'll have to be one of you two."

Saïx scowled and crossed his arms. "It won't be me. I'm not the newest addition to our little group anymore." He smirked and turned his eyes to Roxas. "Looks like its going to be you."

Roxas huffed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. I just wanna get going." He motioned to the door and let Marluxia and the others lead the way. He began to follow but stopped as he felt Axel grab his hand and pull him back.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Next time we do this you can ride with me." Axel smiled and kissed Roxas' forehead. "We're gonna have fun though. This is the first show we've been to in a while and you're gonna love the Circle Jerks."

"Yeah, I know." Roxas returned Axel's kiss with one to his cheek and glared at Saïx who was across the room fetching his jacket. "That guy is just such a jerk though."

"Yeah." Axel chuckled. "But remember, next month! Just you and me in New York for the Misfits annual Halloween show. Its gonna be bitchin' baby. And it'll be just the two of us! Just think about that."

"I know." Roxas smiled excitedly as he started out the door. "My first Misfits show. And New York City! You're right, just think about that. Nothing else matters."

"That's the spirit." Axel grinned and scooped his keys up off the table by the door. He followed Roxas out with Saïx trailing shortly after them.

Roxas sighed and climbed into the front seat of Marluxia's car. Up until recently he had been banned from so much as even looking at the vehicle thanks to his little escapade with Axel in the back seat. But Marluxia knew that if the situation arose where he would have to transport an extra person, it would either be Saïx or Roxas so he quickly lifted the ban in favor of Roxas over the blue haired brat and for this, Roxas was grateful. It meant that at least his friends liked him over Saïx. He sat uncomfortably between Marluxia and Larxene taking great care not to touch either of them for the short duration of the ride. He breathed a sigh of relief as they finally piled out of the car and made their way to pay for entry. Once inside the smoke filled building Roxas inhaled deeply and smiled.

"Glad to be back on the scene!?" Demyx asked with a smirk. "It feels good after not coming for a while, huh!?"

Roxas nodded. This club was no different than the one he'd first been to. Different place, same wonderfully gritty atmosphere, same loud abrasive music filling the room to the brim. He motioned to the swarm of people around the stage and started that way. In this place, he and Axel couldn't act as lovers so they tried to act independent. Roxas wouldn't wait for the redhead to join him and he expected the same of his lover. He made a mad dash for the pit where Larxene and Zexion were already thrashing violently against others. Roxas jumped in without hesitation an joined in the chaos. He'd longed for this feeling since Saïx had made himself a permanent residence in the apartment. Roxas had never wanted hit someone so bad but now he could lash out and release those frustrations.

Axel chuckled as he stepped up beside Lexaeus who stood in his normal spot just outside the pit. "Rox looks like he's got some demons he needs to get out tonight!"

Lexaeus nodded slowly. "He looks pretty wound up!" The massive man watched the pit. He usually took it upon himself to make sure his friends didn't get hurt or too out of control. But as his eyes scanned the circle he saw something potentially more harmful to his friends than any physical danger. His gaze flew to Axel who still stood watching Roxas. "Axel, will you go get me a beer!?"

"Me!?" Axel looked up at Lexaeus in confusion. "Ah come on! They wouldn't even card you! You look older than I do! Besides, I thought you made it a point not to drink at shows!"

"Yeah, well I need a beer right now!" Lexaeus put a hand to his head. "I've got a headache! I didn't sleep too well last night! Besides, they might card me! I think they card everyone here!"

"Whatever! You're just getting lazy!" Axel chuckled and shrugged. "Alright, I'll get you a beer! Just keep an eye on Rox and Saïx!"

"Sure thing!" Lexaeus sighed with relief as Axel started toward the bar. He returned his eyes to the pit as Saïx brushed past him and into the barrage of faces. He watched as the boy went straight for Roxas but he had bigger concerns he needed to deal with than whatever quarrel those two might have. Besides, Roxas was so full of energy that he might just be able to teach Saïx a well deserved lesson. Just then Marluxia appeared at his side so he grabbed his friend by the shoulder. "Marluxia, do you see what I see!?"

Marluxia squinted to see where Lexaeus was looking. "Isn't that…" He squinted harder but something else caught his eye. "Oh shit! Roxas and Saïx are fighting! Dude! Go Roxas! Whip his ass!"

Roxas faintly heard someone in the distance encouraging him but at the moment he was too determined to try and figure out who it was. Saïx had rushed him in the pit and knocked him to the ground. He wasn't going to just take it so he stood and pushed the boy back. The next thing he knew they were throwing fists at each other and not stopping. Currently he had his lover's brother pinned to the ground while he wailed on him relentlessly but they were evenly matched and Saïx soon gained the upper hand. He found himself suddenly on the floor with white knuckles flying into his face. He tasted blood and instantly knew his lip was busted yet again but he wouldn't give up. He forced Saïx off of him and grabbed a fistful of the blue hair furiously. "Listen, fucker! I've had enough of you and I'm gonna…" But before he could land another punch he felt himself being grabbed from behind and dragged away. He assumed it was one of his friends judging by the delicate grasp but he couldn't think of one of them that would want to stop him from pummeling Saïx. The fear that it might be Axel suddenly filled him but as he was sat down on the far side of the room he looked up to this person and saw with relief it was an unfamiliar face.

"Oi! I don't know who you thought you were messin' with, but that kid will fuck you up! And if he doesn't his brother sure will!" Luxord said as he put a hand on the shoulder of the blond boy before him.

Roxas huffed and wiped his bloody lip on the back of his arm. "Yeah, well he had it coming!" Roxas looked from the blond man standing over him to his approaching cousin and back. "Who are you and how the hell do you know that son of a bitch!?"

Luxord smiled and stuck out his hand to shake the boy's. "My name is…"

"Roxas! What the hell man!?" Demyx shouted as he rushed over to his cousin. But as he drew nearer he recognized instantly the man who had pulled his cousin away. Seven years and a bit of facial hair couldn't erase that face from his memory. "Oh shit."

Roxas stood slowly and started toward Demyx. "Where the hell is that little shit!? I'm not finished with him yet!"

Demyx stood staring at Luxord and he knew the man had to recognize him. He quickly grasped Roxas' upper arm. The music behind them stopped as he began to tug his cousin back toward the crowd. "Come on. Let's just go back to the pit and work this all out before…"

"Rox! What the hell happened to your face!?" Axel had spotted his lover across the room and rushed over to him with Lexaeus' beer still in hand. He stood before him concerned until a flash of light blond hair behind the youth caught his eye. His gaze flew up and his eyes fell on Luxord. The beer in his hand fell to the ground and puddled at his feet. "O-oh my god."

Roxas looked to Axel with a frown. "Your asshole brother started it and I…" He looked to Axel's eyes which were fixated behind him. He turned his head to see that the redhead was staring at the blond man behind him. "Oh, he pulled me away. Too bad too, cause I was really about to let loose on Saïx. Which reminds me…" He let his gaze fall back on the British man. "Who are you that you thought I needed saving from that twerp?"

Luxord smiled widely, though his eyes were solely on Axel rather than the boy addressing him. "Me? My name is Luxord."

Roxas froze. Luxord. _The Luxord_. Axel's first love and sexual partner. It seemed all too bitterly ironic. Several different waves of emotion washed over Roxas all at once but anger and a bit of jealousy seemed predominant over all. Instinct kicked in and Roxas doubled up his fist. "Y-you unimaginable son of a bitch!" Roxas heard someone yell his name. Maybe it was Axel yelling for him to stop. Maybe it was Demyx mildly encouraging him. Maybe it was Saïx forcing his way through the crowd to finish their fight. But Roxas couldn't register the voice as anything more than outside noise when his fist made contact with Luxord's face. He brought his fist forward again and again until he couldn't see straight and someone dragged him away.

--

Roxas huffed and blew a strand of hair from his view. "Ax…"

"Be quite!" Axel paced back and forth in front of Roxas, Saïx and Luxord as they sat on the living room couch, all tending to their own wounds. "I'm pissed at all three of you."

Luxord smiled a bloody smile up at the redhead. "What on earth did I do, love?"

"I said be quiet!" Axel snapped and grabbed his head in his hands. "I… I just need to _think_ for a second!"

Saïx snorted and stood with arms crossed. "Whatever, I don't have to listen to this."

Axel growled at his brother and pointed to the couch. "Sit down!"

Saïx cocked an eyebrow and stood his ground. "And if I don't?"

"Then you can pack your fucking bags and go move back in with mom. I said sit down! Now!" Axel watched as his brother grumpily complied before he finally stopped pacing and turned to face the three. He threw a finger in Saïx's face. "You! You started all this. If you hadn't instigated a fight none of this would have happened." He moved his finger to the left to point at Roxas who sat brooding and glaring at Luxord. "You, Roxas. I don't even know where to start. Two fights in one night? The second one completely one-sided and unjustified."

Roxas gasped loudly and jumped to his feet. "Unjustified!? He…"

"Sit down!" Axel stared hard at his lover who looked to him with hurt filled eyes. Eventually the teen sat back down and as he did Axel took a deep breath to continue. "You have no business trying to punish someone who hasn't even hurt you. It isn't your fight to fight Rox."

Roxas growled. "He had it coming."

"You knocked a man unconscious!" Axel clenched his fists in anger. "The Roxas I met back in June would never have done that no matter how deserving the man might be!" He sighed as complete silence fell over the room and Roxas refused to make eye contact. He then pointed his finger at Luxord. "And you…"

Luxord raised his hand slowly. "Oi. I'd just like to point out that I've done nothin' wrong. I helped the poor bloke from gettin' his teeth knocked out and he wants to repay me by knockin' the whit out of me!" He smirked at Roxas and crossed his arms. "Not very gentleman like if you ask me."

Axel glared down at Luxord. "Neither is leaving a shitty little note and disappearing in the middle of the night!"

Luxord mused calmly. "Oh. _That_."

"Yes." Axel hissed furiously. "_That_. That broke my heart! I died that day! You were the first person I loved and gave everything to and you destroyed it all in an instant! Do you know how bad I hurt for you!? How convinced I was that you would be back!? But you never came back! And I hurt! And then finally, with the help of my _friends_ I had accepted the fact that I would never see you again."

Luxord flashed another bloody smile at his former lover. "Yet here I am."

Axel scoffed and crossed his arms. "And you haven't changed a bit! Still the cocky son of a bitch who took everything I had to offer and then threw it all away with a tasteless goodbye note!"

Luxord rolled his eyes. "Back to that again, are we?"

"Yes we are!" Axel crossed his arms and stared down at Luxord. "You think you can just come waltzing back onto my home turf as though nothing happened!? When were you planning on letting me know you were back? Didn't you at least think that I would want to know? Or were you too busy trying to pick up on my boyfriend to even care!?"

"Your boyfriend?" Luxord looked through a swollen eye at Roxas. "That bloke is your boyfriend?"

Roxas glowered at the blond man beside him and doubled up his throbbing fist but the already healing knuckles threatened to split back open at the very movement. "Damn straight I'm his boyfriend you son of a bitch! And I'd appreciate it if you took your cheap ass British accent and got the fuck out of _our_ apartment!"

Saïx nodded from where he sat on the other side of Roxas and glared at Luxord. "I second that."

"_Your _apartment huh?" Luxord snickered and looked back up to Axel. "Sounds like somebody's a bit possessive of you Axey-babe."

Axel blushed lightly at hearing the old nickname he'd grown so accustomed to seven years ago but quickly hid the blush with a scowl. "Well what do you know, sounds like those two finally found something they agree on." Axel motioned for Luxord to stand. "I'll take you back to the club so you can get your car and go home."

Roxas and Saïx jumped to their feet at the same time, both shouting the same objection. "No way!"

Axel looked between the two. "I'll be fine. I'll be back in ten minutes. If I come back and find that you two have fought, somebody will be moving out come morning."

Roxas stared at Axel in awe as he exited the apartment with Luxord following quickly behind. Once the door was closed he turned his attention to Saïx and gawked. "Wh-why are we just standing here? Why aren't we going after him?"

Saïx crossed his arms and plopped back onto the couch. "Because we aren't stupid. Axel's acting like a hard ass to impress that Brit bastard and we're the ones he's taking it out on." He grit his teeth and slammed his fist into the arm of the couch. It hurt but he could scarcely feel anything but fury at the moment. "You and I both know damn well he'd never talk to us like that under any normal circumstances. No matter how pissed off he was or how stupid what we did was, he'd never yell at us and he'd most certainly never threaten to throw us out."

Roxas nodded. "I didn't think what I did was that bad. That mother fucker had it coming for what he did to Axel. He hurt him and it doesn't matter if it was seven years ago or seventy years ago! I don't like the thought of him being hurt. Demyx beat the shit out of some guy that hurt Axel and he didn't get yelled at for it!"

"Demyx beat that guy, but you pummeled that son of a bitch unconscious. Its kind of different." Saïx let a light smirk grace his lips but it quickly fell. "But even if you'd only punched him once, it wouldn't have changed Axel's reaction. That was his first love. That man changed his life. Honestly, I think he never stopped loving him."

Roxas grumbled. "Oh, like that makes me feel any better!"

"Its not meant to! Its supposed to inspire you to try harder!" Saïx looked to Roxas seriously. "I may dislike you, but I fucking hate that Brit with a passion after what he did to my brother. I'd kill him if I could but it'd make Axel hate me and I'd go to jail. I could handle jail, but I love my brother. And right now you're the lesser of two evils. I want you to do whatever it takes to stay in his heart and keep him from going back to that scumbag. Do you hear me?"

Roxas nodded and smiled softly. "Thanks. That means a lot."

Saïx rolled his eyes and stood to get ice for his swollen knuckles and split open eyebrow. "Don't go getting sentimental on me. I still don't like you."

Roxas laughed and sat back on the couch. "That's ok. I still don't like you too."


	13. The Forbidden Zone

So I know I just uploaded two chapters for you all on Thanksgiving but that doesn't mean I shouldn't post my regular weekend chapter, right?

Ok, I'll level with you. I'm trying to find excuses at this point to upload as often as possible cause I have sooooo much written but I don't want to just upload it all at once. And I REALLY want to see how you guys are gonna react to the next couple of chapters. I'm SO excited about these chapters man. Dunno why.

So here's this chapter. Roxas, I want to hold you and squeeze you so much! Ah man, Larxene in this chapter, CLASSY LADY. Ha ha. I love her. Seriously. She's the best. And Marluxia… Well, let's just say that when the description of his attire is made just don't be surprised. I couldn't help myself.

Enjoy!

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Roxas glanced at the electric clock on the side of the bed, 8:32. He wasn't sure what time he had crawled into bed but he knew he had stayed awake waiting for Axel as long as he could. The sound of hushed voices found its way to his ears and he crawled quietly out of bed. He made his way slowly down the hall until he was close enough to the living room to hear Saïx and Axel talking. He stayed put and listened closely as Axel continued speaking.

"Saïx, you don't understand. He's really changed. We stayed up all night talking and he told me how sorry he was for leaving me the way he did. He really regrets it!" Axel sighed and looked to his brother. "Cant you understand?"

Saïx growled and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't! Because I'm still busy trying to understand why the _hell_ you would go into his apartment in the first place!"

Axel crossed his arms. "I told you, he invited me to see it. He was excited and wanted to show it to me."

"More like he just wanted to show the bedroom to you! Come on, Axel. Can you really be that stupid!?" Saïx looked to his brother angrily. "Sometimes I feel like I'm the older one trying to look after you!"

Axel smiled and shook his head. "I'm able to take care of myself Saï."

"Not where matters of the heart are concerned! You're acting stupid! You've got a guy laying in your bed right now who loves the shit out of you!" Saïx scowled at his brother. "I may not like him but I can see that he makes you happy! And you're willing to throw that all away by fucking that British bastard!? If it was just this once, fine! But no more!"

Axel looked to his brother feeling exasperated. "Saïx, you just don't understand. Luxord loves me. He came back for me. I love Roxas, but I still love Luxord! I can't promise it won't happen again."

Roxas had heard just about all that he could handle. He could practically feel his heart breaking into a million tiny pieces as he listened to his lover's confession. Slowly he stepped out from the hall and into the living room with tears burning his eyes. "Is that so?"

Axel froze as he heard Roxas' voice. His gaze turned to the boy and he forced a smile. "H-hey Rox. How long have you been standing there?"

Roxas let out a shuddering breath but refused to let his tears fall from his eyes. "Long enough." He cocked his head to one side and stared at Axel. "So, you slept with Luxord last night?"

Axel's face fell and he stepped toward Roxas slowly. "Look Rox, I'm sorry. Luxord told me how much I mean to him and it made me realize that I…"

"Fuck him!" Roxas grabbed the remote for the television, the only loose object within reach, and chucked it at the floor. "What about how much you mean to _me_!? What about how much I love you and how I'd never hurt you!?" Roxas tore his hand from Axel's reach as the man tried to clasp it. "No! Don't fucking touch me!"

"Roxas, I never meant to hurt you." Axel tried again to reach for the boy but he kept ducking out of range. "Let's just calm down and talk about this like civilized, rational people."

"Fuck civilized! Fuck rational!" Roxas brushed past Axel and started toward the door. Thankfully he was still fully clothed from the night before. He rushed outside and slammed the door behind him. He made his way to Sunset Boulevard and started in the direction of Marluxia's apartment. Unfortunately he didn't have money for the bus but it didn't matter. He needed to walk off his anger anyhow. By the time he reached the apartment he was no longer angry, only hurt. He opened the door and stepped inside to find Demyx still snoozing on the couch. He sat next to his cousin and sucked in a quick breath. "D-dem?"

Demyx awoke with a start, shocked to see Roxas sitting by him on the couch. "Hey. What's up?"

Roxas looked to his cousin with tear filled eyes. "I don't know what to do!"

Demyx sat up feeling suddenly very awake and looked to Roxas seriously. "Oh god, Axel didn't kick you out did he? I know he was pissed but after Marluxia took you guys home he came back to the show and said he was pretty sure everything was going to be alright once Axel calmed down. What happened?"

"Luxord happened! That son of a bitch invited Axel back to his apartment and Axel went!" Roxas grabbed his head in his hands as the tears he tried so hard to suppress started falling freely down his cheeks. "I waited for him to come home! I stayed up so late before finally just heading off to bed. And when I woke up this morning he was finally back… I overheard him talking to Saïx. He told Saïx that he'd had sex with Luxord last night and he couldn't promise that it wouldn't happen again because he loves him!" Roxas looked to Demyx feeling very small and very pathetic. "I love him. Why does he need that jerk? He has me! Aren't I good enough!?"

"Oh damn." Demyx put an arm around Roxas in an effort to comfort him. "That bastard Luxord, he's a really smooth talker. He has this power over Axel. He always has. But you know what? _You've_ got that power over him too! I know you do, I've seen it at work. You just have to overpower Luxord, that's all."

"I don't even know if I want to at this point." Roxas wiped away his tears and glared at the floor. "Those idiots deserve each other!"

"Come on now, you don't mean that." Demyx gripped the boy's shoulder. "You know that douche bag doesn't deserve Axel! The only thing he deserves is to die in a cold ditch somewhere. _You_ belong with Axel and no fucking dumb ass limey Brit is going to change that! You have to fight for what's yours."

"I already fought last night and all it got me was an earful of bitching." Roxas looked to his cousin who opened his mouth to correct him. "No, I know you didn't mean physical fighting. But I don't feel up to fighting much either way."

"Who's going to be fighting?" Marluxia said as he appeared from his bedroom in leopard print underwear. As his blurred gaze fell on Roxas he smirked and clasped the boy on the shoulder. "Hey, Roxy boy! Hell of a night last night! Man, you had Saïx right where you wanted him till that frosty haired twat got in the way! I knew he looked familiar! I hadn't seen those pictures in years but as soon as I saw you beating his ass it reminded me of that time Dem beat that one guy into the ground and then I remembered that he was another one of Axel's ex jerks. Then I remembered just which one he was from the stories and I was right there cheering you on! Talk about a guy that had it coming!"

"The only thing he had cumming last night was Axel!" Roxas stared down at the floor with a look of disdain. "I could pummel that son of a bitch everyday and it wouldn't change a damn thing. He got what he wanted last night."

"Ah! No way!" Marluxia stared at Roxas in awe. "I can't believe Axel would do that. Man, that guy must be one hell of a sweet talker cause when I was helping Axel carry him to the car last night all Axel did was talk about how he was hoping to never see that face again. Of course, you already know that. You were right there." Marluxia sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Geeze, I'm sorry Rox."

"I should have known!" Roxas blinked away new tears as they arose and clenched his fists. "As soon as Saïx said that Axel still loved Luxord I should have prepared myself for the worst!"

"Wait, Saïx said?" Marluxia crossed his arms and stared sternly down at Roxas. "Don't listen to that little jerk! He'll tell you just about anything to get you down."

"No, he didn't mean it like that." Roxas looked up to Marluxia sadly. "He told me that, yeah. And it put me in a panic. But he told me that it was incentive to do whatever it takes to keep Axel mine."

Larxene rubbed her eyes as she stepped out of Marluxia's room in her underwear and into the conversation. "Wait, what about Axel now?"

Marluxia looked to Larxene and planted his hands on his hips. "Remember those old pictures Axel used to have around his apartment of that blond haired guy?"

Larxene frowned and reached her hand into the back of her underwear to scratch her butt cheek. She was still half asleep and not in a classy mood. "What blond guy? All Axel dates is blond guys."

Marluxia shrugged and nodded "Yeah, more or less. But I'm talking about the guy he had pictures of around the apartment. The _only_ guy he had pictures of. The one with the platinum blond hair and the ear piercing."

Larxene nodded slowly and yawned. "Oh yeah. That fag. What about him?"

"Well he was at the show last night! He was the one that dragged Roxas away from his fight with Saïx." Marluxia shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "And apparently last night he convinced Axel to come back to his apartment and they, well, you know."

"Axel!?" Larxene gawked from Marluxia to the very distraught Roxas. "No way!"

"Yes way!" Marluxia nodded quickly. "Apparently, according to Roxas, Saïx told him that Axel is still in love with that British guy. He meant it as incentive for Roxas to try harder to keep Axel. And that's exactly what Roxas is going to do! Right Roxy boy?"

Roxas shook his head slowly. "I don't have it in me. That guy has everything over me. Not to mention he's British and charming."

"Hey, you listen to me!" Demyx grabbed his cousin's shoulders and stared at him in all seriousness. "You know I fucking hate British punks. I will not let you give up now! Don't you see that's just what Luxord wants!? He doesn't want to have to fight for Axel! He wants you to just drop it and let him have his easy win! Don't let him! Eventually he'll get tired and find someone else. All he's after is an easy lay. But if you let him win you could lose Axel forever!"

"I never had Axel! Don't you see!?" Roxas looked to Demyx and shook his head. "I thought he was in love with me. But all he was doing was finding someone to tide him over while he pined away for that son of a bitch!"

"That's a lie!" Larxene grabbed Roxas' ear and yanked it to force him to look at her. "I've never seen Axel so happy as the time he spent with you! He loved you! He does love you. You know that so quit this feeling sorry for yourself bullshit and stand up for yourself! Are you a pussy little boy or are you a fucking man!? You're gonna go home and you're gonna grab a fistful of Axel's hair and make him suck your dick to establish dominance and then you give him the fuck of his life and make him forget all about what's his face!" Larxene nodded and released her hold on the boy's ear. "That's what I do every time Marly cheats on me and it works wonders!"

Roxas blinked at Larxene quietly a moment before a light smile cracked onto his face. "You make him suck your dick?"

"Ye-no! You know what I mean though!" Larxene couldn't help but chuckle. "But see, you're feeling better already just thinking about it."

Roxas sighed and nodded. "Yeah, kinda."

"Come on." Demyx smiled and held out a hand to pull his cousin up. "I'll give you a ride back home and you can give Axel a good fucking, or whatever."

Roxas accepted his cousin's hand and thanked Marluxia and Larxene quickly. He followed Demyx out the door and let his cousin deliver him to the front door of the apartment. He swallowed hard and climbed off the Vespa slowly. "Thanks Dem." Roxas walked up to the door and opened it slowly, peering inside. He saw no sign of Axel so he stepped in and closed the door behind him. Saïx was sitting on the couch watching a movie and he was clearly in a bitter mood.

"Well." Saïx scowled and stood to turn off the television. "You blew it."

Roxas looked to the blue haired boy in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Not only did you manage to bust the remote…" Saïx said dully as he tossed the now useless piece of plastic to Roxas. "But you may have just been the deciding factor in whether or not Axel moves out."

"Moves out!?" Roxas sat the remote aside, having caught it when it was tossed to him. He stepped toward the couch where Saïx had reclaimed his seat and joined him. "What are you talking about? This is his apartment! Why would he move out?"

Saïx growled and crossed his arms. "Apparently you have bigger rage issues than I do. Axel about shit himself when you reacted the way you did."

"What!?" Roxas shook his head trying to make sense of Saïx's words. "How the hell was I supposed to react!? He's _my_ boyfriend! I've been good to him and loving and done whatever I could to make him happy! We were supposed to go to New York together next month to see the Misfits! We already have our plane tickets and everything! How is this all happening now!? And why?"

Saïx snorted. "Maybe you did something to piss God off."

God. That was a name Roxas hadn't heard in a while, at least, not in the way that it was being used now. Sure there was the occasional "_Oh my god!_" exclamation he or his friends would make. But God as the father, God as the son, God as the holy spirit; _That_ God seemed like a distant memory. A dictator that had long sense been dead in Roxas' heart and mind. "D-do you really think?"

"No! I don't really think! It was a joke!" Saïx rolled his eyes. "God doesn't exist any more than Santa Clause or the Boogie Man! He's just a person people made up to scare others into behaving the way they believed everyone should behave. No, what we're dealing with here is some un-predetermined, un-cosmic, totally random bullshit that has fallen into our laps. Now its up to you and me to deal with it."

"Deal with it?" Roxas sighed heavily. "Deal with it how?"

Saïx grumbled. "I'll get a job. We'll stay here."

"You and me?" Roxas cocked an eyebrow at the boy. "Live together?"

"Look, I like it here! There's no way in hell I'm going back to go live with that bitch of a mother of mine and I'm sure you don't want to go living back where you were. We like it here, why not stay?" Saïx stood slowly and started into the kitchen to grab a beer. "At least that way Axel has a place to come back to when he finally sees his mistake and leaves Luxord in the dust."

Roxas shook his head. "You mean _if_ he sees."

Saïx growled and tossed a beer into Roxas' hands. "Not if. _When_. And he will, because we're going to make damn sure of it. You and he work together, right? Make sure you look your best when you go to work. Wear clothes you know he likes to see you in. Drive him fucking crazy! Flirt with guys that come into the shop, they don't have to be gay so long as Axel sees and gets jealous. And he will, trust me. And don't stop going places with the group. That's a damn fast way to isolate yourself. Once he sees that you won't just go away he'll start to see that he made a mistake. He'll look at Luxord and see the flakey fuck that already left him once. And then there's you, Roxas. A constant figure of stability. You let nothing scare you away, not fear of commitment and certainly not a little bit of heartbreak."

"It's more than just a little bit of heartbreak." Roxas sighed and sat his beer on the table. It was too shook up to do anything with anyhow. "I don't quite know how to describe it. I know its jealousy but there's so much more to it. I love him. I really do. And I don't know how to stop feeling this way."

"You won't quit feeling it until you win him back." Saïx popped the bottle cap off of his own beer using the corner of the table. "So there's this Halloween party out in Sun Valley every year that we all go to the weekend before Halloween. Its massive. It's the perfect place for you to get him alone."

Roxas nodded. "Alright. I'll try my damnedest. I'll do whatever it takes and I'll get him back."


	14. Horror Business

Ok. One more chapter for this weekend. Geeze I'm a whore.

:|

Ha ha! So, this chapter. Hella short. I'm sorry. But it is a somewhat important chapter. Axel explains more thoroughly to a (not much) calmer Roxas about why things are the way they are now. I'm not saying its proper justification, cause Axel's still an emotionally weak wreck with no will power at all but at least he was trying to do the right thing. I won't say much else. Just read.

The next two chapters are EPIC. I might upload them in a double whammy next weekend or I may be a cruel mistress and leave you with a cliff hanger. I haven't decided yet.

Enjoy!

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Axel avoided eye contact with Roxas as he entered the main office from the garage. He handed down a handful of papers onto the desk where the blond sat and occupied his hands with tying his hair back into a ponytail for about the hundredth time. It was a nervous habit he picked up every time he had to face Roxas now-a-days. "So, Mr. Robertson finally paid for the repairs in full and just left with his car."

Roxas grabbed the papers off the desk and began sifting through them calmly. "It's about time."

Axel forced a chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck briskly. "Heh, yeah. I thought that car would be here forever."

Roxas stood and spread his hands out on the desk, eyes piercing into Axel. "No. I meant it's about time you said more than two words to me. You know, since you tore my heart out and stuffed it in a blender."

Axel cringed. He'd been hoping to avoid this conversation all together. That was the real reason he avoided talking to Roxas, but it couldn't be helped now. "Listen, Rox…" He froze as he heard their boss coming out of his private office, keys jingling which meant he was going to lunch. This meant nothing to save him from the blond's wrath. He spun around to face the large man and forced a smile. "Hey Xaldin, goin' out to lunch?"

Xaldin nodded to his redheaded employee, mildly irritated. The kid was annoying but he was the best damn auto repair man he'd ever seen. "You two can handle things while I'm away, right?"

Roxas grinned and waved to Xaldin as he nodded. "Sure thing boss! Have fun at lunch!" He retained his cute smile until he heard the man exit the office and speed off in his car, at which point his smile turned into a look of disdain. "Where were we again? Oh yeah, the blender."

Axel sighed. "Roxas, listen. I never meant for…"

"No! You listen!" Roxas lurched forward and grabbed Axel's grease covered jumpsuit by the collar. "I haven't stopped hoping that maybe, _just maybe_, one night when I'm laying in our bed and I'm crying so hard I can barely breathe, that you'll just come in the room and lay down beside me and tell me everything is alright! I keep waiting and waiting and it never comes Axel!"

Axel stared into Roxas' eyes as the tears in them began to swell. "Roxas, I'm sorry. You're the one that stormed out on _me_ and when I tried to talk to you, you wouldn't have it. I waited an hour for you to come back but you didn't and I thought…"

"Oh, you waited an _hour_!?" Roxas inched forward. He was now kneeling on the desk face to face with Axel and his anger building. "I waited for you for hours until I finally couldn't stay awake anymore! And when you finally did come home you came bringing news about how Luxord has changed and how much he loves you. What a load of crap!"

Axel took offense to Roxas' last comment and scowled. "It's not crap! It's true! And if you would have just stayed there long enough for me to explain myself you would understand everything! Yeah, I had sex with him that night! And I regretted it! I was torn because I love you both so much! I came home and I was going to go right to you and tell you the truth but Saïx stopped me first and interrogated me."

Roxas growled. "And you said you couldn't promise that you wouldn't fuck him again! I heard it with my own ears Axel!"

Axel shook his head. "When I said I couldn't promise it wouldn't happen again I only meant that I couldn't promise I wouldn't sleep with Luxord again if things went bad between you and I when I told you! But you didn't give me the chance to explain all that!" He looked away from the boy, tears now burning his eyes. "Damn it Rox, I was going to tell you everything. I wanted to talk through it like a couple and deal with it like it should have been dealt with. I wasn't planning on continuing to see him! If you said the word I would have kicked him out of my life forever. But instead you ran!" Axel turned his gaze back to Roxas. "You ran and you wouldn't hear me out! So what was I supposed to think!? I thought we were finished."

"Axel." Roxas looked into Axel's tear filled eyes feeling a pang of anguish. He wanted to throw his arms around the older man and just cry hard like he needed to but he couldn't. He released his grip on the light blue jumpsuit and let his hand fall slowly down Axel's chest to its place at his side. He felt sick, suddenly realizing just how stupid he truly was for getting so worked up. He heard a man's voice coming from the garage asking for assistance and he sighed. "D-don't you have some cars to fix?"

Axel looked to Roxas sadly and placed a grimy hand against the boy's cheek. He pressed his lips to the blond's forehead and hugged him briefly. "I'm sorry Roxas. I never, ever meant to hurt you."


	15. Halloween

Ok you guys, I couldn't wait a whole freaking week. Geeze, I'm so excited!

So, this is part one of an epic chapter that I decided to split into two pieces just after I finished it because otherwise it would have been roughly 6,598 words you'd be reading,_ not including_ the author note. And I know what most of you would probably say. You'd say "We don't care! We'll read the whole thing! You just want to be cruel and make us wait!" and you'd be right. :D Lol, but you know me. I'm terrible at this waiting game myself. You'll probably get the next chapter before the week is out, depending on how busy I am. (I will be plenty busy tomorrow evening however so don't expect it until WAY late that night at least.)

About this chapter, its great. Its wonderful. It makes me happy. I love it. Which is in TOTAL contrast to the chapter that directly follows it because I hate that chapter. I shake my fist at myself for writing that chapter.

So, there is going to be a drug mentioned in this chapter known as MDMA. The more common street name for it these days is _Ecstasy_. Oooh… Shiny. I mean, err… BAD! Drugs are BAD.

However, I should let you know now that if you are ever planning on trying ecstasy, MAKE SURE it is ECSTASY that you are getting! A lot of times people will try to pass off other more dangerous drugs as X in an effort to make a cheaper form of the tablet with the same type of high. I saw first hand the negative effects of this happen to a friend of mine in high school and it was pretty scary. She lived, but it was still scary. So please, (and I'm not encouraging you to try drugs. Bad drugs are bad. Remember?) IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO ECSTASY, now or any time in the future, please read up on it before you do. There are several websites which can give you the information you need to check your tablets and make sure you're getting X instead of Meth or anything else they're putting with it these days. *pretends to be out of the loop* The internet is your friend in many ways and that includes learning about SAFE recreational drug use, which you shouldn't do, because drugs are fun. I mean BAD. I meant bad. Drugs are bad.

LAWL.

Also, the thing Saïx does at the beginning of this chapter actually DOES work. Back in high school my husband and his friends did it to their Spanish teacher. But telling you this I kinda just want to do a whole MythBusters thing and say, now that its already been done, YOU don't have to do it and get yourself into trouble. So please, don't do it. Cause its really not funny. Unless your teacher is a real prick, then its hilarious.

Geeze, I'm just one bad influence after another.

Oh! And one more thing. SMUT! Smut in this chapter. Stop at "Please come back to me." and then don't pick back up if you don't want to read. (Although you'll be missing a lot of _really_ interesting dialogue if you do skip.)

That's all for now. Enjoy!

* * *

It was the Saturday before Halloween. The night of the party. Six days before he was supposed to fly to New York with Axel to see the Misfits play their annual Halloween show. But Roxas was unsure that he could win Axel back in time. That meant he'd likely be sacrificing that ticket to the blond jerk standing only five feet away with his arm wrapped tightly around Axel's waist. Roxas turned away from the scene to talk to Marluxia who was already a third of the way through his first bottle of vodka, and they had barely just arrived. "This Night of the Living Dead idea was a pretty good one. We all make some pretty good looking zombies."

Marluxia laughed loudly. "Fuck yeah we do! We're terrifying! Man, I never spent so much money on fake blood in my life!" Marluxia took another gulp of his vodka and pulled Roxas closer so that nobody could hear him. "So, how are things going with the whole plan?"

Roxas groaned and brought the bottle of beer in his hand to his lips. "Not well. I can't even get near Axel with that bastard clinging to him like a prize trophy."

"Just wait." Saïx smirked as he approached Roxas and Marluxia's conversation. "I put some eye drops in Luxord's beer when he wasn't looking."

Roxas looked between Saïx and Marluxia in confusion as they both snickered and Marluxia gave him a high five. "What do eye drops in his beer have to do with anything?"

"Wait, who dropped the bomb?" Demyx asked curiously as he stepped toward the small group forming. "Was it you Mar? Who'd you do it to?"

Roxas sighed exasperated. "What are you guys talking about? Will someone explain it to me?"

Saïx smiled wickedly and waved a tiny bottle of eye drops in Roxas' face. "We call it dropping the bomb. Its an old prank we used to pull on teachers in high school. You squeeze some eye drops into someone's drink and it makes them sick."

Marluxia nodded. "Like, bathroom sick."

"Like, unable to get off of the toilet sick." Saïx tucked the bottle away and grinned an evil grin feeling very pleased with himself. "All it takes is a few drops but I used a little under half a bottle. Needless to say he'll be in the toilet a good portion of the night."

"That wasn't very smart." Roxas chuckled. "That's your's and Dem's ride home."

"Yeah, but look." Saïx pointed to Luxord who was now grabbing his stomach and asking around for the bathroom location. "Hah! He'll be in the port-a-potty all night! Now is your chance."

Roxas looked to Axel who stood alone quietly. He took a deep breath as Demyx and Marluxia pushed him forward and adjusted his costume, which was foolish because he was _supposed_ to look bad, he was a zombie. But why not try to be a sexy one? As soon as he was within earshot of Axel he cleared his throat. "Hey."

Axel turned to face Roxas, honestly surprised that the blond was talking to him. "H-hey."

"You look bored." Roxas said in a small voice. "And alone."

"Well Lux just had to go to the toilet real quick." Axel replied. He shuffled his feet and stared at the ground, not totally sure what he could say. "He'll be back soon."

"Oh." Roxas nodded and snickered lightly knowing that wouldn't exactly be the case. "Well I can keep you company till he gets back." He glanced over his shoulder at the four portable toilets about twenty yards away and the long line to use them. "Looks like it'll be a while. Why don't we walk around?"

Axel bit his lip nervously and looked from the line for the toilets to Roxas and back again. "I _should_ stay put. Luxord might get worried if he looks over and can't find me."

"Yeah." Roxas smiled widely and leaned closer to Axel. "But then again, how's he gonna feel when he sees me talking to you? Which is worse?"

"I guess you're right." Axel shrugged and started his feet into motion. "You wanna check out the house of the guy throwing this party? It's a quarter mile up the road and there's tons of people there too."

"Sounds like fun." Roxas squealed inwardly. This was all happening too easily. He glanced over his shoulder to see Demyx and Marluxia giving him an enthusiastic thumbs up as they passed the group and he returned it discreetly before turning his attention back to Axel. "So, this guy owns all this property out here?"

"Nah. Just this acre and a half here and then the house up the road. I guess he tried buying land closer to his house for the parties but that was the closest he could get." Axel stuck his hands in his pockets and looked Roxas over quickly. "You look good."

Roxas blushed lightly but as he remembered just what he was wearing he was a little less flattered. "Yeah, good and scary."

"Every year Marluxia tries to get us to go in matching costumes. This is the first year anybody agreed to go along with it. Probably because zombies are easy. Last year he wanted us all to go as characters from A Clockwork Orange but nobody wanted to put forth the effort." Axel laughed lightly. "Of course he _had_ to be Alex. And he went too, but nobody went with him. He was so pissed."

Roxas snickered and stared up at the sky as they walked along the road. "Sounds like him. What a diva."

Axel smiled but slowly his smile faded. He glanced at Roxas and cocked his head to the side. "How are you doin' Rox?"

Roxas shrugged. "Oh, you know. Working to pay for the apartment. Saïx too. Crazy how that happened, us living together…"

Axel sighed and shook his head. "I didn't ask _what_ you've been doing. I asked _how_ you've been doing."

Roxas glanced at Axel curiously. "Why do you care?"

"Stop avoiding the question." Axel stopped walking and turned to face Roxas entirely. "You know why. I still love you Rox. I want to see you happy."

"If you want to see me happy then you'll come back to me." Roxas stared hard at Axel. "I love you Axel. I want you back home. _Our_ home in _our_ bed, laying there in my arms. I shouldn't have freaked out like I did but I didn't know how to handle it. I can't change that but I can change this!" Roxas reached out and pulled Axel to him. "Come back to me." He pressed his lips to the taller man's and kissed him deeply. He smiled as he felt Axel completely cave but his joy was short lived. The redhead began pushing him away. Roxas broke the kiss and looked to him sadly. "Don't push me away Axel."

"Roxas, I can't do this!" Axel grabbed his head in his hands and shook it. "I'm not going to keep going back and forth between you two. I'm weak, and I love you both. If I go back to you Luxord will only try to get me back. If I go back to him you'll try to get me back. It'll be an endless fucking cycle and everybody will just keep getting hurt!" He took a deep breath and stared at Roxas seriously. "I need to just stay where I am. It's better this way."

Roxas clenched his fists and threw them down at his sides. "Damn it Axel! You don't know how much this is killing me! I gave up everything for you! My religion, college and my parents, all of it for you."

"You did that for yourself! Don't delude yourself Roxas. You're better than that." Axel turned away from the blond and started back the way they came. "This was a mistake. I'm going back to wait for Luxord so that we can leave."

"You'll be waiting a while." Roxas crossed his arms and smiled. "Saïx dropped the bomb so that you and I would have time to talk."

Axel froze and turned to face Roxas with a twitching eyebrow. "Saïx dropped the bomb? On Luxord? Did you ask him to do it?"

Roxas chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, I didn't even know what it was until after he did it. He used nearly half a bottle."

"Half!? Are you serious!?" Axel tried to suppress the laughter rising in his throat but it came out all the same. "That wasn't very smart. How is he supposed to get home? He and Dem rode with Lux and me up here."

"Guess we'll just have to stay longer than we expected." Roxas smiled and started back toward their previous destination. "Come on, you gonna show me that house or what?"

"Alright. I guess I have some time to kill." Axel rejoined his former lover in the trudge up the small hill and dirt road. Finally they reached the house with red garden lights illuminating the outside décor. All around were incredibly convincing dead bodies and other sorts or gory horror themed decorations. "So this guy supposedly is an ex movie executive and every time the studio he used to work with is done with props they give him what he wants. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah." Roxas smiled as they walked up to the house, poppy music thrumming from within but nothing that he recognized. They stepped through the massive double doors where the light of a disco ball was the main source of illumination, save for the few black lights giving the room a purplish glow. There was smoke in the room, unfamiliar to Roxas by scent, because it didn't choke him like cigarette smoke but it wasn't as thick as fog machine smoke and didn't have a synthetic smell. It smelled horrible. "Uhg, what's that smell?"

Axel snickered. "Ah, that would be good ol' Cannabis. You know, marijuana."

Roxas shrugged and at Axel's grin he rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, I know. I still have a lot to learn, so shoot me."

"It's a drug. Makes you feel good. But if you have to smoke it then I say don't do it. Not worth it. You get that taste in your mouth and it stays there for a while. And man, do you get hungry. Better to drink it in a tea or something." Axel lead Roxas through the sea of unfamiliar faces toward the stairs. "There is one thing I've been wanting to try every year we come here but I'm always driving so I'm always afraid to take it."

Roxas looked to Axel curiously as he followed the man up the stairs. "What is it?"

"Its called MDMA. That's the short name. I can't even begin to _pretend_ I know how to pronounce it. But chances are, Zex is already in there having a trip with a bunch of strangers like he does every year. He can probably tell you the name." Axel stepped into the room adorned with pink beads. "Geeze, the guy who owns this house is such a fuckin' hippy but he has the best parties."

Roxas followed Axel into the room and spotted Zexion right away. He was shocked to see some girl draped over the short man kissing herself silly on his neck. "Whoa."

"Yeah, whoa is right." Axel chuckled and approached his friend. "Hey Zex, you look like you're enjoying yourself."

"Axel, Roxas! Hi!" Zexion smiled brightly and stood, knocking the brunette off of him as he did so. "I'm so glad to see you. Did you come to try a tablet?"

Axel nodded and laughed softly as Zexion hugged him. "Yeah, I've been waiting to try it for a while. Now that I don't have to drive, it's the perfect chance."

"Yeah, you definitely don't want to be driving. Here." Zexion reached into his pocket and fished out a small tablet. He placed it in Axel's palm and clasped his hands tightly. "You and Roxas share this. It'll be good for you two. Very spiritual and bonding. Just put it on your tongues and let it dissolve together. It's a beautiful thing."

"Ha ha, ok Zex. Thanks." Axel took the pill and started out of the room. "Lets go to the bathroom Rox. Zex is too hippy-happy for me right now."

"Uh, ok." Roxas hurried after Axel and into the bathroom down the hall. He looked to the redhead calmly before examining the pill. "So, that little thing made Zexion _that_ complacent? Maybe we should stock up and start feeding them to Larxene."

"Ha, good idea." Axel grinned before holding the pill out between the two of them. "Zex said to put it on our tongues and let it dissolve between us. You ready?"

Roxas cocked an eyebrow but smiled. "You sure you want to? I mean, being that close to me and all might upset Luxord."

"It's just harmless fun Rox." Axel nodded quickly, trying to reassure himself. "No emotions involved."

"Alright." Roxas stepped forward and opened his mouth letting his tongue hang out. He watched as Axel placed the tablet on his tongue and then stepped forward, bringing the two wet muscles together. The taste was instantly bitter and it took all Roxas had to keep his tongue pressed against the redhead's. But after a while he grew accustomed to the taste and soon the pill was gone. He stared into Axel's green eyes calmly waiting to feel anything, but nothing came. "I don't feel any different."

"You will, all drugs take time." Axel moved to the sink and turned on the water. "You should drink a bit of water so you don't get dehydrated. That happened the first time Zexion took it. We thought he'd die." Axel took a few handfuls of water and gulped them down quickly. He watched the blond follow suit and then smiled with satisfaction. "You wanna go find somewhere to chill? I mean, besides the bathroom."

"Yeah." Roxas started out the door and wandered down the hall. He was surprised to find another set of stairs leading further up. "This doesn't look like a three story house."

"It's probably the attic. Come on!" Axel grabbed Roxas by his wrist and pulled him up. "Anything to get us away from this bullshit music." He lead the blond up the stairs and opened the door at the top, flicking on a light switch as he entered. Sure enough, it was an attic space, but it was surprisingly well furnished. There was a couch and a table and it was obvious the owner of the house liked to spend a lot of time there. "Check it out Rox! Pretty bad ass, huh?"

"Yeah." Roxas started over to the couch and sat down. He was beginning to feel a wave of euphoria sweep over him and he beckoned for Axel to join him. "Come sit down, this couch is so soft."

"Alright." Axel joined Roxas and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm starting to feel pretty lucid. How about you?"

"Yeah." Roxas nodded and looked over at Axel. "I feel pretty mellow right now. But, I want to do something too. I wish we were at a show so I could mosh in the pit. Or _something_."

"Yeah, I kinda got the urge to do something too." Axel glanced over to Roxas let his hand snake across the couch and rest on the boy's leg. "I love you Roxas. I've missed you. Do you miss me?"

"Every day." Roxas licked his lips and scooted closer to Axel. "I still wake up and expect to see you there. And sometimes I just dream about waking up and you're there in bed next to me. And then I kiss you and you're happy. I made you happy, right Axel?"

"Yes. You always made me happy Roxas. I never meant to make you feel like you didn't." Axel scooped Roxas' hand in his own and leaned closer to the boy. "Sometimes I wake up and expect to see you there too. And sometimes, when I see that it isn't you… I roll back over and go back to sleep hoping that the next time I wake up it will be you. But it never is."

"Axel, I love you." Roxas straddled Axel and pressed his lips to the man's cheek. "Please come back to me."

"Let's have sex Roxas. I want you, inside me, here and now." Axel began tugging desperately at Roxas' clothes. He was amazed at what speed he was able to undress the boy. He gasped loudly as he felt Roxas kiss a trail up his torso. Every caress of those soft lips against his skin felt like a strange new sensation. He let Roxas undress him, relishing in the feeling every time the boy graced Axel's flesh with his own. Every touch felt heightened and pleasurable and Axel felt himself growing impatient. "Hurry Rox. Forget lubing up, let's just go. I need you right now."

Roxas pressed his length against Axel's opening and eased his way in. Axel didn't need to tell him twice to have sex. It was all Roxas had been thinking about since he kissed the redhead on the path to the house. Now Axel was under the influence of a drug and Roxas knew it was wrong to take advantage but the part of him that might have cared was on the same drug. He let his hands fall into Axel's hair and he tugged the locks gently as he thrust inside that wonderful, warm haven. Every sensation he felt was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. A simple brush of Axel's shoulder against his brought tingles splintering through his body. His breath was shallow and almost shuttering as his length probed deeply inside the older man. His mouth found its way to one of Axel's nipples and he toyed with it slowly, taking joy in the cry of pleasure the redhead let out. "Tell me what I mean to you Axel."

"You're everything to me Rox." Axel grabbed Roxas' face and pulled the blond into a passionate kiss. "You're my world, my sun and moon and the stars and the sky. You're perfect and beautiful. I love you so much. I love you, I want to be yours."

"Then _be_ mine." Roxas let his hands fall from Axel's hair to his hips and he gripped the man gently. He continued to plunge, slow and deep inside Axel, enticing every moan and whimper he could. If at all possible, having sex with Axel now felt better than it ever had. Maybe it was the drug, or maybe it was the beauty in having the redhead in his arms once more. Whatever it was, it felt completely spiritual. Axel was vocalizing louder and more sincerely than he ever had and it drove Roxas insane. Yet he didn't feel on the edge of losing himself. He felt he could go for hours in fact. Slowly he brought his hands to trace over Axel's body which he knew would feel intense thanks to the MDMA coursing through their bodies.

Axel's breath caught in his throat at the feeling of the blond's soft hands trailing up and down his body. He felt hot and cold all at once. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Rememorizing you. I've nearly forgot how you feel…" Roxas darted his tongue out to lick at Axel's collarbone. "How you taste. Every inch of you is different and special. I want it all back."

"It's your's." Axel managed to say before a loud, long moan nestled in his throat and prevented him from speaking. Sex with Roxas was much different from sex with Luxord, but not tonight. Roxas was usually still on the timid side and although he'd grown more passionate he still liked for Axel to take the lead. Luxord on the other hand had always been the one in control. It was what Axel was used to. He loved the feeling of being helpless in the presence of his lover, subject to their every whim and just ready for them to destroy him with a sensory overload. Normally that was what he did for Roxas, but not now. Now Roxas had him quivering and feeling so out of his wits, it almost hurt. It was Autumn time and the air was cold but somehow, between the MDMA and the blond fucking him senseless, Axel felt on fire. Sweat began trickling down his forehead causing his cake makeup to begin to melt off.

Roxas let his hands dive back into Axel's hair where he could control the redhead's mouth more easily. He pressed his lips against Axel's and kissed him forcefully. He heard the man whimper into his mouth and he couldn't help but smile. "Admit it Axel, I'm a better lover than Luxord. I can be submissive but I can give you a good thrashing when you need it. Remember Marly's car? That night is imprinted in your fucking memory. And that first night we had sex, it was perfect, you can't deny it. I wanna hear you say it Axel."

"Y-you _are_ better. You're right." Axel gasped and wrapped his arms around Roxas, groping his shoulder and grasping at his hair. "Fuck me harder Roxas. Make me yours again."

"I'll fuck you till you forget that son of a bitch and you _know_ who you belong to." Roxas quickened his pace, thrusting as deep inside Axel as he could. His grip on the older man's hair tightened and he pulled back Axel's head to kiss hungrily at his throat. He then moved his mouth to nibble at Axel's ear. "Tonight, you come back home to me, understand?"

"Mmph! Y-yes Roxas. I will." Axel whimpered as he felt Roxas deep inside him, brutally ramming that pleasure spot with full force. He knew he couldn't hold out much longer. Every second brought him closer to orgasm and finally he just relented. He clung tightly to the boy above him and cried out loudly. "Roxas! I'm gonna cum!"

"Good! You cum hard and you fucking remember who did that to you." Roxas continued his thrusts, letting his own climax build. He felt Axel's core begin to pulse and he felt the hot wash of Axel's seed on his stomach, the redhead's beautiful cry bringing Roxas nearly over the edge. He kissed Axel's lips and rode out his own climax, finally feeling that release he'd been missing. He lay atop the trembling man, both gasping for a breath of fresh air in the stale attic atmosphere. He knew he should probably get redressed but he couldn't bring himself to pull away from Axel. Instead he lay there and rested his head on Axel's chest, letting his high from both the drug and the sex take his mind miles away. And then sleep took him.


	16. Halloween II

In unusual fashion, I am going to post an author's note at the beginning AND end of this chapter. This one up here is to discuss things that aren't spoilerific to this chapter. The one at the end is to discuss the occurrences in this chapter more thoroughly and just what they mean to me.

So yeah. Ha, its been mentioned several times (mostly by Brinkmess, I think) that Axel does a lot of the "taking" in this fic. Generally I like the concept of the two flip flopping positions whenever they feel like it but I do try to make my fics as realistic as possible. And as much as I'd love for Axel to give Roxas a good thrashing, Axel IS the one that's had several sexual partners in the past, being the taker (in the strictest sense of the word) in all the relationships. Roxas however was a virgin and fairly new to the concept of sex and I think he might be VERY turned off at the thought of having something stuck up his butt… I mean, remember how mortified he was when he realized _he'd_ have to do that to Axel? In this situation, I see it more as Axel liking being the taker, and also being afraid of scaring Roxas off by the mere suggestion of him taking it up the butt. Its like, why mess with a good thing? Besides, Axel is still sort of the seme in the aspect that he sometimes dominates over Roxas, even if he's the one with the chub in his butt. *shrug* That's just the way I see it. I know that if _I_ was a little Catholic boy venturing into a new world of sexual enlightenment, I'd call the person crazy who suggested they'd ram anything up _my_ ass.

Just sayin.

Uhg, ok. This chapter. I hate it. Read it. Discussion of the chapter at the bottom.

Oh, and time frame. Let's see, the time they arrived at the party was probably about 6:30 PM and it is now 3:00 AM. They've been there a while. Lawl.

* * *

"Wake up Roxas." Axel said as he nudged the blond pinning him to the couch.

"Ngh?" Roxas opened his eyes and looked up to see Axel staring down at him. "Wh-what time is it? Are we still at the party?"

"Yes. We're at the party still." Axel pushed Roxas off of him and reached for his clothes on the floor. "Look, as much as I'd like to avoid talking about this, we have to. This thing here tonight, it didn't happen."

"What do you mean it didn't happen?" Roxas scowled at Axel as he too began redressing. "It quite obviously happened and it was amazing."

"Amazing, yes. But it should never have happened. We were high out of our minds and I already explained to you that its just best if I stay put." Axel ran a hand through his spikes trying his best to fix them or at least make it not look so obvious that he'd had sex.

"Don't do this to me Axel!" Roxas grabbed Axel's arm and turned the man to look at him. "Don't walk away from me again. You said…"

"I said a lot of things, but it was all the MDMA talking." Axel sighed and shook his head. "Roxas, I love you. But I don't want to hurt you any more than I already have. And that's what will happen if I keep flip flopping between you and Luxord. I'll just keep hurting you. You just need to do what's best for you. Go to college, go back to church, reconnect with your family and simplify your life Rox. Be happy."

"I was happy when I was with you!" Roxas gripped the redhead's arm tighter and held him into place as he tried to start out of the attic. "Please!"

"Roxas, let's just go back to the others. Do yourself a favor. Pretend this never happened." Axel pulled away from the boy and started quickly down the stairs. It had to be early in the morning, because most of the people that had been in the house were gone and the music was turned down low. He peeked into the room Zexion had previously been in to find that he was no longer there. Before Roxas could catch up Axel went down the second flight of stairs and out the front door.

Roxas rushed after Axel, calling for him every so often, but it was clear he was being ignored. He followed after Axel but even running as he was, he was unable to catch up with the redhead's swift power walk. They drew closer and closer to the party on the empty lot and he could now spot all his friends sitting around near the cars. He sighed as his eyes fell on Luxord, no longer in the toilet and clearly irritated. He knew he had no chance to talk to Axel now, and he wasn't slowing down a bit to give Roxas a chance.

Axel forced a smile as they approached the group waiting at the cars. "Hey, what's going on guys?"

Luxord leaned against his red Karmann Ghia with his arms crossed, eyes darting from Axel to Roxas and back again. "Waiting for you two to get here so we can go home. Its three in the morning. Where have you been? Not shagging I hope."

Roxas glared at Luxord. "You know, its funny you should mention that because…"

"Because we knew you'd say that." Axel chuckled nervously and wrapped his arms around Luxord. "Actually, we just took some MDMA and time got away from us."

"I'll say." Luxord glanced over Axel curiously before smiling and pressing his lips to the redhead's. "Well no worries. Let's just head on home before your pink haired friend here gets any drunker."

"I'm not _th-that_ drunk! Geeze." Marluxia snarled his nose at Luxord and climbed into his car. "Come on! All aboard who's coming aboard!"

Roxas sighed and climbed into the back seat of the Cadillac. He glanced at Axel through the window as the redhead climbed into the Karmann Ghia after Demyx and Saïx and closed the door. He refused to make eye contact.

Axel glanced at the turquoise Cadillac as Luxord revved his engine and passed the still unmoving car. Guilt was filling up inside Axel. He knew he shouldn't have led Roxas to believe that things could go back to the way they were. The boy needed stability, and although at one time Axel thought he could offer that, he just knew he couldn't any longer. It was unfair to keep going back to Roxas when he wasn't even certain he wanted to be with Roxas. Luxord really had changed and he was doing everything in his power to make up for his actions. How could Axel just walk away from that? Actually, quite easily. He at least had to admit that. But something about Luxord would always bring him back. Something about Luxord almost made him forget just how much Roxas actually meant to him. As he sat staring ahead at the blackness of the night, his mind was spinning with all sorts of thoughts. But his thought stream was cut short when Luxord spoke to him.

"That friend of yours is coming up behind us fast." Luxord chuckled and pushed his foot further down on the gas pedal. "You think he wants to race?"

"Oh god, no. Please don't encourage him Lux. Marluxia is an idiot behind the wheel, especially when he's been drinking." Axel turned in his seat to see Marluxia's headlights fast approaching. "Don't race him. I know its tempting but he won't relent."

"Ah come on Axey-babe. Where's your sense of adventure?" Luxord chuckled as they sped down the dirt road and onto the street that led them to the Hollywood Freeway. "This car was built for the Autobahn! That boat on wheels of his doesn't stand a chance."

"Luxord, please." Axel grit his teeth nervously and glanced back at Marluxia's car as they turned onto the Hollywood Freeway onramp and began rocketing down the road. "Just let him pass you and drive at a normal speed, please!"

"Come on! There's nobody on the road! Let's have some fun." Luxord forced his car faster and sped down the freeway. He rolled down his window and stuck his head out of the car. "Woo hoo! Feel the wind!"

"Luxord! Stop god damn it! Please!" Axel gripped the blond's arm and pulled him back into the car. "Now is not the time, alright!?"

"Oh, alright." Luxord removed his foot from the gas pedal and looked down at the speedometer. "We were only going ninety, love."

"Seventy is fast enough." Axel eased back into his seat. He was certain now that they were slowing down, Marluxia would follow suit, but he was mistaken. The green vehicle flashed by them and quickly ahead, Marluxia hanging out the window and screaming something back at him. "That idiot! He's going to get them all…" And then it happened. The car swerved and slammed right into the concrete divider on the right side of freeway. Axel froze. He heard a string of curses fly around him and he felt the car he was in come to a complete stop just short of the turquoise wreckage but he couldn't move.

"Oh my god. Oh my god!" Demyx unbuckled his seatbelt quickly and started for the door. "Oh fuck! Oh shit! Oh shit!" Without hesitation, Demyx was out of the red sports car and at the door of the Cadillac. He looked in the back seat first, Lexaeus was conscious but he seemed pinned in his spot by Larxene's seat. That was when Demyx moved to look into what was left of the front window. Larxene was there unconscious but breathing. Nearly her whole body was smashed under the dashboard of the car which had been pushed backward on impact. There was blood everywhere and it was hard to tell where the fake blood ended and the real blood began. All Demyx knew was that it did not look good. He began tugging at the door handle but it wouldn't budge. "I need help!"

Saïx rushed to Demyx's side and began pulling at Lexaeus' door. "They're stuck! Fuck, this is bad."

"I smell smoke." Luxord said quietly as he approached the two. "Bloody hell. We need to get them out of there! I'll try the other side." Luxord ran around to the other side of the car and began tugging on the back door but it too was stuck. Despite the damage to the right side of the car being the worst, the doors were still stuck. He poked his head in the open window and noticed Marluxia was not there. "Where's the pink haired boy?"

Demyx looked to Luxord in a panic. "What!?"

"He's not here!" Luxord turned and looked around but he saw no sight of Marluxia anywhere on the road. "He must have got ejected. We'll find him later! The engine is on fire, I can smell it. We need to get them out."

"Right." Demyx rushed around to the other side and climbed in through the window. "I'll work at getting Larxene unpinned."

Saïx nodded and then turned his gaze to his brother who still sat in the other car. "Axel! Get over here! We need your help!"

Axel jumped to attention at his brother's words and hurried out of the car. He ran to the Cadillac and stared at the wreckage in horror. He looked into the back seat to see Roxas and Zexion both unconscious. Seeing Roxas there laying in blood had Axel in near hysterics. He began pounding on the glass in hopes of waking him up. "Roxas! Roxas, can you hear me!? Roxas! Are you alive!?"

"Nngh…" Roxas opened his eyes slowly. His head was throbbing and his neck was sore. He remembered seeing the car swerve to hit the concrete divider on the freeway and then everything went black. At hearing Axel's voice he sat up and turned to look at the redhead through the rear window. "Axel!"

"Hold on! I'll get you out of there!" Axel climbed onto the trunk of the Cadillac and began kicking at the window. "Saïx! Help me!"

Saïx joined his brother on the back of the car kicking at the shatterproof glass. Finally the laminated glass cracked into a thousand tiny pieces and began to give way. He doubled up his gloved fist and punched as hard as he could, making a hole through the window. He grabbed at the edges around the hole he made and began to tug.

Axel helped Saïx pull the cracked glass off of the window frame and once it was out of the way he reached in and unbuckled Roxas. "Are you ok!?"

"Yeah, just dizzy." Roxas wrapped his arms around Axel as the man pulled him out of the wreckage.

"Are you sure?" Axel pulled Roxas away from the car and sat him down worriedly. "You're not bleeding are you? Th-that's all fake blood, right? Oh god, Roxas. You could have died."

"I'm fine." Roxas stood and started back toward the car. "We need to get everyone out."

Saïx grunted as he pulled Zexion out of the opening they had made. "We need to get Lexaeus and Larxene out now! I told Luxord to go find a phone. We need an ambulance here, Larxene isn't doing so good and the fire in the engine is starting to spread."

Roxas stumbled back over to the car and climbed back in through the window. He looked into the front seat to see Demyx frantically working to try and free Larxene from the dashboard pinning her and Lexaeus to their spots. "We gotta hurry Dem!"

"I'm trying! But god…" Demyx gasped for air as another attempt at pushing the dashboard forward failed. "She's wedged in here so tight Rox. I… I don't think she's going to make it out. She's lost so much damn blood and she's…" Demyx fought back the tears swelling in his eyes as he pushed on the debris once more. "She's barely breathing anymore. And she's so god damned cold and pale!"

"She'll be fine! She has to." Roxas growled and began tugging at Lexaeus' legs. "Can you move them at all Lex?"

Lexaeus shifted his legs. "Yes, and I could probably get them out but I don't want to hurt Larxene."

Demyx sighed and looked from the blond woman back to his massive friend. "Lex, I don't think that's going to be possible. She's hurt pretty badly. I don't think it can get much worse. G-go ahead and get out."

Roxas looked to Demyx sadly as he helped put force against the front seat so that Lexaeus could get his legs free. Once the large man was free, Roxas helped him out the back window and then began pulling at the seat to try and free Larxene. "Come on Demyx. If we can pull the seat back we might be able to get her out."

"Alright." Demyx climbed into the back seat and began tugging alongside Roxas but the seat was nearly impossible to move without pressing the adjustment switch. The smoke from the engine fire was beginning to seep through the former air vents and into the car. "We've gotta hurry! We can't let her die Rox!"

"I know but…" Roxas grunted as he pulled as hard as he could on the seat. "Its not budging!"

"Roxas! Demyx!" Axel climbed onto the trunk of the car and reached in to scoop the two out by their shirts. "The car is on fire now! The whole front end is on fire! You can't save her! You have to get out or you'll die too!"

"We have to try Axel!" Demyx pulled away from the redhead and continued to tug at Larxene's seat. "Maybe if you would help us!"

Axel sighed and gripped Demyx's shoulder. "No Dem. I'm sorry. Its too late for her. Even if we got her out there's no way she'd…"

"Don't say that!" Demyx looked to Axel with tears burning his eyes. The fire was now spreading into the interior of the car but he couldn't give up. "She's still breathing! She's still alive! I can't just leave her!"

"Out you go!" Luxord grabbed onto the back of Demyx's clothes and looked to Axel. "I'll get him. You get your boy."

Axel looked to Luxord in astonishment before nodding quickly and pulling Roxas out of the car. He pulled the boy to safety and dragged him away from the burning wreckage. They stood staring at the flames as they began engulfing the entire vehicle in a roaring fire. He held Roxas in his arms tightly as the boy trembled. "You did your best Roxas. You tried."

"B-but it wasn't good enough." Roxas stood watching the flames, now bright enough that they illuminated a good portion of the freeway. It finally made clear Marluxia's position about thirty yards away. "Oh my god… Marluxia!"

Saïx took a deep breath and started over. "I'll check him."

"God, why did this happen!?" Roxas grabbed his head in his hands as he watched the flames began to lick at Larxene's face. The girl's eyes were closed and she almost looked as though she was just sleeping. No matter how much Roxas wanted to tear his eyes away from the scene, he just couldn't. He faintly heard Saïx yell that Marluxia had no pulse and the helplessness he felt intensified. He watched the car burn in silence, Demyx's sobs reaching his ears. "A-axel?"

Axel tightened his hold on Roxas as they stared straight ahead. "Yeah?"

Roxas let out a shuddering breath. "Will you say a prayer with me?"

Axel released Roxas slowly and stepped to his side. "But the only prayer I know how to say the Hail Mary prayer."

"That's fine." Roxas made the sign of cross and knelt to the ground with his hands out before him. He waited for Axel to follow suit before he began. "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, our Lord, Jesus Christ."

Axel took a deep breath and joined in with Roxas. "Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at all times, and at the hour of our death. Amen."

* * *

Ok, so I TOLD YOU to expect at least one death. Here you have two. But come on, it isn't as though I didn't foreshadow this at all. In fact I think I kinda made it blatantly obvious.

I did this for two reasons.

Firstly, character development. Marly and Lar dying has nothing to do with actual plot development but it has a great deal to do with character development. We see our cast now, shrinking, and we see how this shrinking is affecting them.

Secondly. Oh geeze. Ok so this is where a longwinded rant begins, friends. My second reason hits a little bit more closer to home for me.

This chapter was _very_ difficult for me to write. I kept feeling ill and had to stop and go do something else and keep coming back to it. As I've said before, I lost three close friends in a car crash in high school, all because they decided to get into a car with a drunk driver so this is very important to me.

I realize (as vain and shallow as it sounds) I have a fairly decent sized fan base. For every one of you that actually reviews this story, I have at least four more subscribing to updates for the story. I realize my writing reaches a large range of people. And I think that is great. So WHY NOT try to spread awareness about an issue that is very close to my heart?

What happens to Larxene is not much different that what happened to one of my friends in that car crash. The only difference is that my friend was _not_ _lucky enough to be unconscious_. She was awake to realize she was trapped in a burning vehicle, two of her friends dead to her right, one decapitated, and the driver running away from the scene of the wreck more worried about getting caught than getting her out safely. My friend had to sit there screaming (according to the people who were on the phone with 911) and panicking as she sat covered in blood, waiting for someone, _anyone_ to help her until she eventually passed out from breathing in too much smoke and suffocated to death. She was 13, just getting ready to celebrate her 14th birthday. That was eight years ago last month.

I'm all for partying and living life without restrictions; because you only have one life so why not enjoy it? So it may seem out of character for me to stress the importance of not driving drunk.

But I never have and I never will drink and drive and I hope that is one thing I can inspire in those who read this story. Don't drink and drive, and don't get in the car with anybody who has been drinking.

EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO CALL YOUR PARENTS, don't think about how mad they're going to be or (if you're under aged) how much trouble you'll be in, or even how disappointed in you they might be, because AT LEAST they won't be burying their child. And you can use that against them to guilt them into not lecturing you. Because every parent would rather have a drunk child than a dead child.

This chapter is dedicated to my friends, Shantelee Batchelor, Tara Mitchell and Amy Simmons-Spaulding. Three beautiful young girls who lost their lives way too soon all because of a foolish mistake. Please take their mistake and learn from it, and encourage others you love to do the same. Grow a chain of awareness. Please. And always have a Designated Driver, even if it has to be you sometimes.


	17. Death Comes Ripping

So I'm updating this morning because I'll being going to see The Princess and the Frog tonight. Woo hoo! So excited! I've got a feeling I'm going to absolutely adore Prince Naveen. Move over Aladdin, I think I've got a new favorite prince worming his way into my heart! Ha ha! He's so wonderful looking, and that accent. FINALLY a Disney hero with an accent! Mmm… (And no, we're not counting Jake from the Rescuers Down Under. Bernard was there hero there, not Jake!)

Ok so blah blah. THIS CHAPTER. Man, things start to take a dramatic turn in this chapter. Whether or not it is a slight deviation or a long term stray down a separate path, I won't say. It's just something you'll have to find out for yourself. This particular day in time is October 29, 1980, which was a Wednesday if you must know. Go ahead, don't take my word for it. Look it up yourself on your computer's date and time. I'll wait.

Anyway, if any of you have ever wondered what my exact inspiration for this fic was, (and no, it wasn't the Misfits) now is your time to find out!

Its totally lame, maybe, but that's just how things roll with me. So, one of my all time favorite songs is "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel. I LOVE that song and it was in a major way an inspiration for this story (kinda obviously if you listen to the lyrics) and so later when a reference to that song is made, don't be too shocked or go "OH MAI GAWD THAT'S LAME" cause yes, it is lame. But so what? It inspired this story which you all seem to enjoy so don't go raggin on me now. I really suggest you look it up on you tube or something or at least read the lyrics. You'll at least giggle a bit and be like "Oh yeah, that's TOTALLY them." Lol. Axel has a lot of guilty pleasures. Billy Joel is one of them.

Enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"Marluxia was a young man, described by his friends, as a very lovable, true friend and very full of life. He was always happy and never let life's turns for the worse bring him down. He lived his life to the fullest and made every day count. He loved Larxene, whom we are also laying to rest this day. She was a young woman of great promise, a young woman I had known since her childhood. She was known to never hold back from the truth, and while that often got her into trouble, I viewed it as her most endearing quality. You sit before me now, many of you weeping. I see the faces of those who loved these teens. Faces of family, faces of friends. Weep not for these children, for they are in the arms of God. Let us say The Lord's Prayer as we lower these children into the earth." Xigbar picked up the leather-bound bible from the podium at which he stood and made the sign of the cross. "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen." As the crowd before him echoed in "Amen," Xigbar stepped down from the podium and between the two caskets as they were lowered into the ground. He made the sign of the cross over each of them and sighed. "Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return."

Roxas sat watching the priest quietly. Though he was at the burial of his two very close friends he could not cry. It bothered him because he knew he should be crying. This was a tragic event, yet all he could do was sit and stare. He hadn't even cried at the funerals. He sat watching the coffins as they were lowered into the ground and he sat long after people began to disperse but still he felt… "Nothing."

Demyx looked to his cousin. "Wh-what?"

"I feel nothing." Roxas stared ahead at the two holes in the ground and furrowed his brow. "I mean, I feel that they're gone. I know I'll never see them again and yet I can't cry. I can't feel anything."

"Maybe you're just not one of the type that grieves." Demyx grabbed his cousin's hand and gripped it tightly. "Larxene's dad didn't cry, but inside I know he's in pieces."

"That's just it though." Roxas looked to his cousin. "Inside I feel no different than if they were still alive. Have I become too hard?"

Demyx sighed and gripped Roxas' hand tighter. "I don't think that's…"

"How could you know?" Roxas looked back at the priest in thought. "When I first came here, I would have cried to see a cat run over in the street. Now look at me. I'm hurting others, physically, and sometimes with my words. I could care less about other people's problems. I only worry about myself. I've become everything the devil feeds off of."

Demyx shook his head. "Rox, the devil doesn't exist."

"Doesn't he?" Roxas stood slowly and motioned to the surrounding area. "Look around you Dem! Look at this earth littered in corpses of sinners. People that died long before their time, people like Marluxia and Larxene! Do you think this is all of what God intended when he created this earth? For people to rape and murder and fight and do all the horrible things that people do to each other on a daily basis?"

Demyx stood and crossed his arms. "I don't believe that its good but I'm not going to shift blame on some imaginary being like the devil!"

"No Demyx. The blame falls on us! Humans who were given this gift! The gift of the earth and of life and what do we do with it? We destroy our earth with pollution and we waste our lives on booze, sex and drugs! We never stop to think about what we're doing with our lives! And then when we die we go to heaven or hell based on our life." Roxas pointed to Larxene and Marluxia's coffins in fury. "Do you think those two will be in heaven!? Larxene may have been baptized and raised Catholic but if she wasn't practicing then it does no good! She's going to go to hell right along side Marluxia."

Demyx reached out and slapped Roxas hard across the face. "This _is_ hell you idiot! Don't you get it!? There's no such place as heaven and hell! The real heaven and hell are what you make out of your life! Its not a place, it's a fucking state of mind. Now quit acting like this and let's just go home. I don't want to be here anymore."

Roxas shook his head and started off in the direction that the priest had left to. "I'm not going. I'm going to talk to that priest and I'm going to do something that is long overdue!"

Demyx huffed and watched his cousin retreat. "And what the hell would that be!?"

Roxas stared straight ahead as he watched the priest cross the street and walk into the church. "I'm going to confession!" He picked up his pace and hurried over to the church. Once inside he dipped his fingertips in the holy water and made the sign of the cross before continuing in. His eyes fell on the priest and he stepped quickly toward him. "Excuse me, father?"

Xigbar looked up to see a blond haired boy approaching him. He smiled softly, recognizing him from the funeral. "You were at the funeral."

Roxas nodded quickly. "Yes father." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "My name is Roxas I was a friend of Larxene's. Well, and Marluxia's too. We were pretty good friends."

Xigbar nodded slowly. "I see. Did you come to talk to me about them?"

"Well, sort of." Roxas fidgeted with his hands and sighed. "You mentioned knowing Larxene since she was a kid. I knew she was baptized Catholic but I didn't know how long she had been practicing for."

Xigbar smiled softly. "Let's sit down and we can talk." He started over to the pew and knelt as he made the sign of the cross before entering. He watched the boy do the same with interest. "You are Catholic?"

Roxas nodded and took a seat beside the priest. "Yes father."

"I see." Xigbar nodded before taking in a deep breath. "So, you wanted to know how long Larxene had been a practicing Catholic. Well, she was very devout up until about the age of fifteen. She had received her first communion and everything. And then she met that boy, Marluxia. She tried bringing him to mass with her every once in a while, but after a while he stopped coming, and so did she."

Roxas nodded slowly. "Yeah, I figured it had to do with falling in love."

Xigbar cocked an eyebrow at Roxas curiously. "Falling in love?"

"When you fall in love with someone you become so willing to do anything for them that you'll forsake everything." Roxas scowled at the floor and clenched his fists. "Even your religion."

"Ah, I see." Xigbar smiled. "You are looking down on love. Love is not a bad thing. You can love whoever you want as long as your love for God is greater."

"But what if it isn't?" Roxas looked to Xigbar before looking back down at the floor. "Or what if it is, but you're so blinded by your love for someone that you don't realize it?"

Xigbar let out a slow sigh and stood. "I'll tell you what. Why don't you come to Mass from now on and rejoin in what you've been missing. There's someone I want you to meet. Come this Sunday. Alright?"

Roxas nodded slowly. "Alright. And I can do a confession then?"

"Of course." Xigbar started out of the pew and nodded to Roxas. "I have another burial service that I need to get to. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday."

Roxas waved to Xigbar as the man left his sight and then started out of the church. He walked to the bus stop that he knew would get him back home and boarded. The whole ride home he sat in thought. What if he had made a mistake embracing this life of punk rock and sin? What if it was already too late? What if Larxene and Marluxia's deaths could have been prevented if only they had been more churchgoing and holy? What could he do about it now? He exited the bus about a block from the apartment and watched the sky as he walked the rest of the way home. When he reached the apartment he noticed a note on the door. It was from Saïx. He picked it off and read it aloud. "Roxas, went to the store. Out of milk. Don't lock the door asshole." Roxas crumpled the paper in his hand and turned the knob to step into the house. He began loosening his tie when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. The bedroom door was open. It was never open. He started down the hall curiously and peered into the room, shocked to find Axel sitting on the edge of the bed flipping through an old photo album. "What are you doing here?"

Axel was startled to hear Roxas' voice. He quickly wiped away the tears that were on his face and forced a smile. "Hey, I didn't hear you come in. I hope its ok that I'm here."

Roxas shrugged and pulled off his jacket. "It's your apartment. You can do what you want."

Axel sighed and turned his attention back to the album of old polaroids. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to look at these old pictures of Marly and Lar." He thumbed over one that had a speck of dust covering Larxene's face. "I can't believe they're gone. Just like that. Its only been three days but it feels like a lifetime has passed."

Roxas stood staring down at Axel. "That's why we aren't meant to take life for granted. Life's too short to screw it up."

"I know." Axel sat the photos aside and stood. "And I wanna to talk to you about that. I've messed up Roxas. Bad. And I hate that it took me this long to realize it. But when I saw you in the back of that car and I thought you were dead… I lost myself. I realized just how much you meant to me in that instant. And I know it shouldn't have took _that_ for me to realize how much I love you but it did. I realized that I shouldn't have been so quick to jump back to Luxord. You being upset was understandable and I shouldn't have expected any more from you than for you to get really angry. You've been great to me from the start Rox and it shouldn't have mattered how much Luxord changed or how much he used to mean to me. That part of my life was over and I should have stayed right here with you!" Axel reached out and put a hand to Roxas' cheek. "I love you Roxas, and if you'll have me back, then I…"

"No!" Roxas pulled away from Axel and scowled at him. "Are you insane!? I'm not stupid! Luxord must have done something to warrant this. You wouldn't just be back here all of the sudden. What did he do Axel? Fuck somebody else? Or did he just decide you weren't worth the dead weight anymore?"

"No, it's not that at all!" Axel grabbed Roxas' hand and held it tightly. "I haven't even talked to Luxord about this yet. But I will. I'll explain that I no longer want him a part of my life. After what happened, I'm sure he'll understand."

Roxas tugged his hand from Axel's and stepped away from him. "It's too late. I've already decided to go back to the life I had before I came here and met you all."

Axel's face fell and he stared at Roxas feeling helpless. "Y-you're going back to Oregon?"

"No. I'm staying in L.A. Or maybe I'll move up to Oakland. I haven't decided yet. I'm going to reapply to those colleges I was supposed to visit and hopefully they'll take me for the next semester. Meanwhile, I'm going back to church and getting my priorities back in order." Roxas undid his tie and began hanging up his good suit. "I guess I'll move back in with my aunt until I can afford a place of my own."

"Roxas, why?" Axel gripped the boy's shoulders and turned him to meet his gaze. "Why all of this? Why all the sudden?"

Roxas frowned at Axel and crossed his arms. "You were the one who thought this was a good idea. What was it you said to me that night? Go to college, go back to church, reconnect with my family and simplify my life, right? So I could be happy." Roxas turned away from Axel slowly. "I'm just taking your advice."

"You said that night that you were happy when you were with me!" Axel grabbed Roxas' shoulders again and spun him back around. "I know I fucked up Roxas. I know I fucked up bad and I can never make up for it but I want to try and at least fix it."

"Its more than just you Axel." Roxas let his fingers fall to the buttons on his shirt and began unfastening them. "Today at the funerals and later at the burial I felt nothing. I realized that you people are the ones that did this to me. You and Demyx and even Marluxia and Larxene. You've made me this cold, callous jerk that stopped feeling anything! I hate how I've become. I shouldn't be like this. And I wasn't like this until just after that party. After we woke up after having sex and you turned me away again, and I was so hurt that when I climbed into the car with the others and they asked me how things went I just snapped! I told Marluxia to shut up and drive and when Zexion asked how I liked the high I told him to fuck off. They were just trying to help me and at that point I didn't care if I ever saw your stupid face again! And when Marluxia started driving fast I didn't care! Hell, I was even thinking how _great_ it would be for him to just crash the car and I would die! And then when he stuck his head and hands out the window and Larxene grabbed the wheel to steady it, she slipped, and I thought in that split second _"This is it."_ and I wasn't even sad about it. The only moment I was sad that night is when I realized _they_ were the ones that got hurt. Not me, the only one who wanted to be."

"Roxas." Axel looked to the blond sadly and shook his head. "I didn't mean to make you feel like that."

Roxas finished unbuttoning his shirt and pulled it off to place on a hanger next to his jacket. "Well it happened all the same, didn't it? And now that they're dead I realized, they're not going to heaven! They lived their lives in sin and now they'll be in hell with all the other sinners."

Axel smiled softly. "Wouldn't you rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints, Rox?"

Roxas scowled and crossed his arms. "Are you _really_ going to quote that stupid Billy Joel song at a time like this?"

"Ah come on." Axel grabbed Roxas' hand and pulled him close. "You know that song is as close to our story as any song will ever get."

"We don't have a story Axel!" Roxas pulled away from the redhead and growled. "We're just two people who happened to meet and now that's over and I'm going back to the life I once knew."

"W-well, what if I joined you?" Axel clasped Roxas' hand again and knelt on the ground before him. "What if I go to church with you? I can handle that! I'll get some nice clothes and I'll go with you every weekend except for when I have to work. And I'll drop everything for you. No more drinking, I'll never touch drugs again. And…"

"Sex?" Roxas cocked an eyebrow at Axel with a slight smirk on his face. "I'm just supposed to believe you'll give up sex?"

Axel grit his teeth and sighed. "Y-yeah, I can give it up if that's what you want."

"And what about getting baptized? And confession?" Roxas looked down at Axel in interest, wondering just how far the other man was willing to go to be back in his good graces.

"I'll do it all. I love you Roxas, don't you get that?" Axel stood slowly and pulled Roxas against him. "I love you. I want you to be happy and I want to be a part of your life again. Even if its just as a friend."

Roxas sighed heavily and shook his head. "Until you decide its too much hassle and give up."

"No. I'm in it for the long haul." Axel nudged Roxas and smiled playfully. "So, absolutely _no_ sex? At all?"


	18. Come Back

So I'm almost completely caught up to all the chapters I have again. That means next week we're gonna have to go back to one a week unless I have a sudden burst of inspiration. Sorry gais. I suck. :(

So yeah, ok. Axel and church. I know, right? Man, I was RAISED Catholic and I didn't feel comfortable in a Catholic church so I can imagine how it must feel to people who weren't raised that way to just pop in to one and try to sit through. Nothing quite like disgruntled old people giving you dirty looks to make you feel totally welcome to the congressional family. *snort*

Don't worry. There won't be too many church going scenes. I'm not such a religious person anymore. Even writing about it makes me feel like I'm being thumped in the head with a bible.

Long chapter is long. But it spans over a WHOLE DAY which, if you've ever been to church with your family, I'm sure you know it is the longest day ever. Church, brunch afterward, and maybe some shopping or other miscellaneous bullshit you have to do as a group for some reason.

I wanna reply to some of the comments kinda quickly.

1) Ha ha, yes. I _do_ love putting Xigbar in very odd roles. But its really not that odd and you'll see what I mean later.

2) Roxas _is_ kinda being a douche bag. But he's seriously not feeling sorrow for Marluxia or Larxene right now. He's not _exactly _thinking that they got what they deserved but its something close to that. He isn't viewing them as people that he cared about. He's viewing them as sinners that died and nothing more. He knows he should be sad but he just isn't.

3) Axel giving up the things he loves? Only for the thing he loves most of all. Aww! Gay. I think that's all I gotta say about that.

Also, introduction of a new cast member! I killed off two, so I had to bring in at least one more besides Xigbar. It's a secret until you get there. I'm personally excited about it.

AND! About Luxord's actions in this chapter, don't be fooled! He's putting on an act. That's all I'll say.

Oh yeah, slight moment of smut. *grin* Ok, you called it. Roxas is too much of a horn dog to give it up himself. What a hypocrite! Stop at "Suck." and pick back up at "Where's the fun in that? Why not prolong it?"

Yeah, that's pretty much it. Yay?

Oh yeah, I forgot to ask if this was happening to anybody else when they submit their fics. Every time I upload a new chapter, some of the paragraphs get smooshed together. Happening to anybody else?

* * *

"Hurry up Axel!" Roxas said as he rushed up the stairs into the church. "We're late!"

"I'm sorry!" Axel hurried after Roxas and dashed into the church. He watched curiously as the boy dipped his fingertips in the holy water on the wall and made a sign of the cross. He took a deep breath and tried to follow suit. "Head, chest, left, right. Head, chest, left, right." He dipped his fingers in the water and touched them to his head, then chest, then to his left and right breast before scuffling after Roxas. He watched the boy kneel and repeat the gesture as he went to take a seat in the long bench like seat furthest back in the church. Axel knelt and resigned the cross before taking a seat beside Roxas. He leaned closer to the blond and whispered quietly. "Nobody is sitting back here."

"That's because all the good seats are taken!" Roxas glared at Axel and put a finger to his lips to signify silence. "Be quiet."

"Yeesh, alright." Axel grimaced and tried his best to follow what everyone around him did. His eyes darted ahead of him, to the priest who had spoke at Larxene's funeral and at the burial of the two teens. As the man spoke, Axel realized the language he was speaking was not English. "What language is that?"

"It's Latin." Naminé said softly with a light giggle as she took a seat next to the tall redheaded man. "My name is Naminé."Axel looked at the short blonde girl who sat down at his left. "Hi. My name is Axel. And this is…"

"Roxas." Naminé smiled cutely. "I was told to expect him sitting back here. My uncle is the priest, and he said he wanted me to meet with Roxas. He didn't say anything about you though."

"Oh, ha ha. I kinda just tagged along. In case you couldn't tell, I'm not Catholic." He grinned sheepishly. "Well, not yet anyway. But I'm trying to be."

Naminé laughed lightly and nodded. "That's all that matters."

Axel shrugged and then looked to Naminé curiously. "So, how did you know Roxas would be sitting back here?"

Naminé glanced from Roxas who was deep in prayer to Axel and giggled. "Its basic human nature. The first time in a new place you're bound to isolate yourself as much as you can until you're comfortable with your new surroundings."

"Ah, not this kid." Axel smiled and patted Roxas' shoulder. "He's always the type to dive head in. We're just sitting back here because I accidentally made us late by going down the wrong road."

Roxas grumbled at Axel and furrowed his brow. "Axel, be quiet!"

"But look!" Axel pointed to the blonde girl beside him. "She's the priest's niece and she's supposed to meet you!"

Roxas looked from Axel to the sweet looking blonde girl sitting beside him. "Oh. H-hi. I'm Roxas."

"I'm Naminé. I'm glad to meet you. My uncle told me about the loss of your friends. He thought it would be helpful if I were to be here for you to have someone to talk to. You know, someone your own age." Naminé smiled sadly at Roxas and Axel. "I know now isn't the time, and you probably don't really want to talk about it but I wanted you to know that I'm here if you need someone to talk to." She reached across Axel's lap and put her hand on Roxas' arm with a delicate smile. "As a friend."

Roxas smiled nervously and nodded. "A-alright."

Naminé bowed her head with a smile. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go back to my seat now."

"Nice meeting you." Axel waved to Naminé as she stood and walked away and once she was out of earshot he turned to Roxas quickly and smirked. "She was _pretty_ _cute_, huh Rox?"

Roxas narrowed his gaze on Axel. "Yeah, and?"

Axel shook his head and chuckled. "Nothing, nothing. I came here to pray Roxas, not talk."

"Hardly." Roxas tugged at Axel's sleeve. "What were you getting at?"

"Nothing. It just seems funny. You come to church to talk to a priest, the priest tells you to come back, the priest's pretty little niece comes up to talk to you and you don't find anything out of the ordinary?" Axel snickered. "Come on, he's trying to hook you up with his niece. And she was obviously flirting with you."

"Oh, I see." Roxas nodded slowly. "You're jealous."

"Jealous?" Axel rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Not in the least. I mean, come on. She's cute but she's not _that_ cute."

"I dunno." Roxas put a hand to his chin to emphasize thought. "She was _awfully_ cute."

"Screw you, I'm cute." Axel stuck out his tongue at the blond boy and smiled. "I thought we came here to pray, not talk about the priest's cute little niece."

"We did. And if you're going to pray you need to kneel down on that kneeler right there." Roxas said indicating the long padded board attached to the pew in front of them.

"Hey, Rox." Axel nudged the boy and smiled innocently when he received a scowl. "You wanna go to lunch after this?"

--

"So…" Roxas said as he stabbed a piece of chicken in his pasta with a fork and plopped it in his mouth. "How did you like your first mass?"

"It was interesting." Axel sipped his iced tea slowly. "I probably would have liked it better if I could understand what he was saying. Do all Catholic churches have mass in Latin?"

"No. Not all." Roxas shrugged. "I don't mind it though." He smiled lightly and poked a mushroom with his fork. "So, how was the Halloween show for the Misfits?"

"I didn't go." Axel looked down at his plate sadly. "It just wouldn't have been the same without you. Besides, I couldn't go. Not with Marluxia and Larxene having just died. Its only been a week. I'm still mourning them. I probably will forever."

Roxas looked at Axel curiously. "You know, I still can't feel about that. It makes me sick. I want to be sad! I want to cry! But I can't. I liked them a lot. They were good friends to me. And I had so many good laughs with them. But when it comes right down to it, it doesn't even feel like they're gone."

"Maybe that's why." Axel reached across the table and grabbed Roxas' hand. "Maybe it isn't that you've become too callous. Maybe its just that it hasn't officially sunk in yet."

Roxas cocked an eyebrow and looked at Axel curiously. "I sat there and watched Larxene burn to death. How is that not officially sunk in?"

Axel shook his head. "We all sat there and watched it Roxas. Some people just handle death differently than others. Dem's been held up in Marly's apartment all week. He doesn't answer the phone, but I know he's there. Lex is just as distraught only he is more willing to talk about it. And Zexion…" Axel sighed and swirled the straw in his tea around. "Zexion doesn't say anything at all. He pretends it doesn't bother him but I know its eating at him inside. Saïx didn't really get along with either of them, but even he is a little upset. We've all known them for so long that just imagining they're gone is hard."

"But I know they're gone and I still feel nothing." Roxas clenched his fists. "I don't get it."

"Its just because it hasn't touched you yet. But trust me, one day it will. It could be a year from now. It could be tomorrow! But something will happen that will trigger a memory, and it'll hit you, hard. And you'll cry, or maybe even laugh. You'll _feel_." Axel leaned forward and took a big gulp of his tea. "That's what you want, right? To feel again?"

"Yeah." Roxas nodded and sat his fork aside. "But don't hold your breath."

"You know what?" Axel smiled sadly and gripped the edges of the table. "Are you done eating?"

Roxas looked down at his plate of mostly eaten chicken fettuccine alfredo and shrugged. "I suppose. Why?"

"Waitress! Check please!" Axel waited for the perturbed looking elderly woman to come over with their bill. He pulled out a twenty and slapped it down on the table to cover the meal and a tip. He then grabbed Roxas by his arm and dragged him to the motorcycle.

Roxas climbed onto the back of the motorcycle and wrapped his arms around the older man's waist. He wanted to ask where they were going but he knew he would receive no answer. Instead he sat in silence as they rocketed down the road and made their way to the freeway. He pressed his face to Axel's back and closed his eyes deciding that wherever Axel was taking him, it should remain a surprise until they arrived. But as they drove he felt the familiar curves of the road. The twists and winds along the road were ones he'd felt enough times now to know just where Axel was taking him. And once they reached their destination he didn't need to open his eyes. He could practically see it already. "You brought me to Santa Monica?"

Axel turned off the engine and stepped off of his motorcycle. "Is that a problem?"

Roxas climbed off the bike and stood staring at the ocean before him, a cold breeze tousling his hair. "No, just wondering why."

"You want to feel again." Axel took a step toward the sand and smiled. "I will make you feel again. Come on." He motioned for the boy to follow and lead him to the normal spot that they always went to. "Sit down."

Roxas looked down at the sand hesitantly. "But, my church clothes…"

"Fuck your church clothes. Have a seat." Axel forced Roxas down and took a seat in front of him. "Lets talk."

"Talk?" Roxas looked to Axel in confusion. "We couldn't talk back at the apartment?"

"I want you to close your eyes. Dig your fingers in the sand. Listen to the waves and imagine its night time." Axel waited patiently for Roxas to do so and then continued. "Imagine Zexion, sitting on his towel and reading one of his books. He's quiet, like always. Lex is there too, just a few feet away. His normal spot. Working on one of those stupid brainteaser puzzles of his that nobody else can seem to fucking solve except him." He paused as he caught a slight smirk grace Roxas' lips. "Dem is sitting there next to you with a pin in his hand, writing his little lyrics for the band he hopes he can have one day, if he could ever find a drummer and a bassist and a guitarist." He shifted from where he sat to sit beside Roxas. "I'm here, next to you like always. Just sipping my beer and enjoying the company."

Roxas sat for a moment imagining all this. He could already see it without having to try to very hard. He was smiling but his smile fell as he noticed something. "Its quiet."

"Yeah, it is." Axel took a deep breath and looked down in the sand. "Marluxia was the first one who suggested coming here in the summer. After Demyx graduated Marly and Lex were worried they wouldn't be able to hang out with him anymore. Then Marly suggested this place during that summer as a hangout. Demyx asked Marly if he didn't mind if Dem brought friends, and that's when Zex and I met him and Lex. We all hit it off really well. And the next school year, Marly started dating Larxene and she started tagging along with us to concerts. And then the following summer it was all of us back here again. And we've been coming here pretty much every summer since I was twenty."

Roxas smiled sadly. "That's great."

"But you know what isn't great?" Axel turned his eyes from the sand to the sky as his tears started to swell up. "This last summer was the best, because you were here with us. It was like our group was full and complete. And now it isn't again. This last summer was the best summer of my life and next summer will always be the worst. I'll never be able to come back here and not expect to hear Marly's drunk ass going on about _something_ that gets him fired up. I can never just sit here and laugh while Larxene and Zexion squabble back and forth, or listen to her bitch and moan and ridicule me for stupid shit. And I never thought I'd miss that but I do now and I always will." He let out a shuddering breath and gripped Roxas' hand. "Just knowing I'll never hear her call me a fag again, and never get to listen to Marly's lewd innuendos. I…"

"I'm not Christ Lad anymore." Roxas opened his eyes slowly and looked to Axel. "I'm not any of those stupid nicknames she used to call me."

Axel laughed lightly though there were tears now running down his face. "No more bugging us about which one of us was giving and which one was receiving when we were together."

Roxas gripped Axel's hand tightly and stared at him. "Axel, I…" He let out a hefty sigh and quickly turned his gaze to the sand. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Axel looked from the blond beside him to the ocean. "You don't have anything to be sorry about."

"I just… I can't help but feel like this whole thing is my fault. If I had just been calm that day and heard you out then maybe we still would be together. Happy and carefree." Roxas picked up a handful of sand and let it trickle away in the wind. "Maybe Marluxia and Larxene wouldn't have died."

Axel furrowed his brow in confusion and shook his head. "Roxas, how do you figure _that_?"

"Think about it Axel. You and I would have rode to the party together on your motorcycle. We wouldn't have tried the MDMA because you would have had to drive so we wouldn't have been there long enough for Marly to get as drunk as he did. And if Saïx was sitting up front with Marly and Lar then there would have been no way he would let Marly drive that drunk anyhow." Roxas gasped loudly and looked to Axel with wide eyes. "Oh god. Oh god, it _is_ all my fault!" The blond grasped his head in his hands as tear began rushing to his eyes. "If I had just stopped being selfish for just one fucking second…"

"No! Roxas, no." Axel pulled the boy into his arms and held him tightly. "Don't you dare start thinking like that! Marly had a history of drunk driving and was always getting pulled over for being reckless. He had a pattern of doing things like this and if the blame is going to fall on anyone it should fall on everybody for not standing up to him and taking away his car keys, not just you!"

"Don't try to play it off!" Roxas buried his face deeper into the redhead's chest and wrapped his arms around him. "My god damned temper is the cause of all this!"

"Hey now…" Axel pulled Roxas' face up to look at him. "If I hadn't screwed up the great thing you and I had then you wouldn't have lost your temper in the first place. So don't blame yourself. Blame me." Axel wiped away Roxas' tears with his thumbs and smiled softly. "You're crying. You're feeling. What are you feeling?"

"Angry and upset! I'm so mad at myself I could scream and I'm upset because I…" Roxas trailed off and quickly shook his head. "There are far too many reasons to be upset and too little time to name them all. Just take me home Axel. I want to be home."

"Alright." Axel stood and walked with Roxas to the motorcycle. Once they were mounted he turned on the engine and started off toward the apartment. By the time they got back, thanks to traffic, the sun was already setting. He turned off his motorcycle and climbed off to walk Roxas to the door. He noticed there was a note on the door from Saïx and looked at it closely. "Roxas, went to a show. Don't lock the door asshole." Axel snickered softly. "Does every note he leaves you tell you not to lock the door?"

"Yeah, because I always do. Its habit." Roxas shrugged and peeled the note off the door. "I really just need to make a spare key for him."

"Hey Roxas, look, about today at the beach…" Axel bit his lip and looked to Roxas sadly as the blond turned the doorknob. "When I said I'd make you feel again, I didn't mean make you feel guilty."

Roxas turned and looked at Axel sadly. "There's just a lot of things Ax. It wasn't you. I just realized that I've screwed up a lot and a lot of my choices could have prevented a lot of bad things from happening if only I'd made the right ones. I'd be so much happier if I'd never…"

Axel watched as the boy shook his head quickly and started into the apartment. "Never what?"

Roxas looked to Axel as he started to close the door. "Its not important. Thanks for lunch Axel. See you next Sunday."

Axel growled and put his foot in the door before Roxas could close it completely. "Never what, Rox?"

"Axel!" Roxas huffed and pushed harder on the door. "I-it doesn't matter! Just go!"

"No!" Axel pushed back on the door. "I wanna know! Damn it Rox, stop blocking me out! You'd be happier if you'd never what!?"

"Never walked out on you!" Roxas stared hard at Axel with tears burning in his eyes. "There, are you happy now!? I said it! Now leave!"

Axel stared at Roxas quietly for a moment before forcing his way into the apartment. He grabbed Roxas and pulled the boy against him. Without thinking, Axel pressed his mouth to the blond's and kissed him deeply. Roxas wasn't pushing him away. He kicked the front door closed and locked it quickly, pulling the boy with him to the couch. "I love you Roxas. I want us to be together. No drugs talking, no drunken ramblings. I want you and only you." He laid Roxas down and climbed on top of him, caressing his face gently. "I love you."

Roxas stared up at Axel as the redhead straddled him on the couch. Every instinct in him was conflicting with his brain which was telling him not to give in. This was the opposite of what he knew he should be doing to get his life back on track, and he knew he was setting himself up for potential heartache. Still, despite his determination to stay on the forward path he'd chosen, he found himself caving. His arms wrapped around Axel's neck and he pulled the older man into a hungry kiss. When their lips parted he let his hands slide down Axel's chest to the belt on his pants. "I love you too Axel. I want to take you. In _our_ bed, right now."

"Alright." Axel began unbuttoning his shirt quickly but froze as Roxas grabbed his hand and held it in place.

"Don't." Roxas pulled Axel's hand away from the buttons and smirked. "You look so hot in that shirt and tie. I want you to leave it on."

"Yes sir." Axel grinned and pulled Roxas up slowly. But as he started toward the bedroom there was a loud knock on the front door. "Saïx?"

Roxas cocked an eyebrow and looked to the door. "Back from the show already? I don't think so." Roxas stepped toward the door and peered through the peephole. As soon as he saw who was on the other side of the door his face fell to a look of complete disgruntlement and he yanked the door open. "Luxord, impeccable timing you've got."

Luxord stood staring in at Roxas. "Where is he? And don't try telling me he isn't here because his bike is parked out front."

"You're right, he's here. But we're busy at the moment. _Very_ busy." Roxas feigned a smile and started to close the door but Luxord pushed it back in on him and made his way in. "Hey! This is my apartment, get out!"

Luxord ignored Roxas and stood staring at Axel with his arms crossed. "Church, eh? You've been gone all bloody day and you expect me to believe you've been at church? Or did you just come over here to shag all day and all night?"

Axel sighed and averted his gaze from the two blonds before him. "Look, Luxord. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. You know that. And I told you that I realized just how much Roxas meant to me…"

"Yeah, and I told you to try and get him back! And you wanted to puss around and act unsure of yourself." Luxord looked from Axel to Roxas. "And then when he finally _does_ get balls enough to tell you how he feels, _you_ go all "holier than thou" on him and tell him if he wants to be part of your life again he has to give up his life of debauchery! And yet here you two are looking guiltier than two little boys with chocolate covered hands and a broken cookie jar between them! You lot are the most hypocritical, confusing bunch I've ever met!"

Axel wrung his hands together and dared a glance at the blond British man. "Are you mad?"

Luxord huffed and turned his gaze back to Axel. "A bloody telephone call would have sufficed, don't you think? Instead of letting a person worry about where you were. You could have just rung me and told me you were staying after church for the hot Catholic sex."

Axel grinned widely. "Thank you Lux."

"Don't thank me you bastard. I knew this was going to happen from the beginning." Luxord winked at Axel as he turned toward the door. "Guess I just wanted to relive the old days. But those days are dead and gone. You just don't have the passion with me anymore." He paused at the door and smirked at Roxas. "Sorry if I pissed you off, but I couldn't help myself. I care about that kid. But the longer he was away from you, the clearer it became to me that you were the one his heart really beat for. I'll stay out of your way from now on."

Roxas watched in awe as Luxord stepped outside and closed the door behind him. He turned his eyes to Axel and sighed. "Well, _that_ was interesting."

Axel forced a smile and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Leave it to Luxord to ruin the mood."

Roxas grinned and turned the lock on the door. He advanced on Axel quickly and grabbed the redhead by his tie. "I don't know about all that. Just knowing that he's no longer an obstacle has got me pretty hot and bothered."

"Oh?" Axel raised an eyebrow as Roxas yanked him into the bedroom and threw him on the bed. "You sure you wanna do this? A few days ago you said…"

"Shut up Axel." Roxas tore Axel's belt open and yanked quickly at his pants. He forced the fabric off the man's legs, taking his shoes down to the ground as well. He slid his hand up the redhead's slender leg and grinned. "I could tease you, you know. Make it absolutely unbearable for you. Make you beg me for what you want most."

"Please don't." Axel reached out and yanked Roxas closer by the boy's own tie. "Teasing never got anybody anywhere."

"Says who?" Roxas smirked and pressed his index and middle finger to Axel's lips. "Suck."

Axel hesitantly opened his mouth and took the blond's fingers in with his tongue. He sucked lightly on the appendages, eyes never leaving Roxas'. But just as quickly as the boy demanded he lubricate the two digits, Roxas tore them out and smiled down at him wickedly. "You're not going to play nice, are you?"

"Oh, I'm going to be _very_ nice. Just relax." Roxas took the two slick fingers and placed them just outside Axel's opening. He slid them in slowly and smiled at the gasp of pleasure the redhead let out. "See? That's being nice, isn't it?"

"I-if you can call it that." Axel groaned and rolled his hips against Roxas' two probing fingers. "But I get the feeling you're going to be getting a bit more devious."

Roxas made a tsk sound and grinned as he lowered his head to Axel's growing length. "Devious? Not me. I'm just sweet and innocent, remember?" He let his tongue slide out and tauntingly licked the tip of the now fully erect member. He watched and heard as a shiver struck through Axel and he couldn't stop from repeating his action in hopes of enticing another wonderful whimper. "Of course, if you'd rather I stop altogether, I can. I understand if you don't trust me…" Roxas smiled and pulled his fingers from their exploration of his lover.

"No!" Axel lurched forward and grabbed Roxas by the cuff of his sleeve. "I trust that you won't be too cruel. But why wait when you can take me now?"

"Where's the fun in that? Why not prolong it?" Roxas knelt above the older man and smiled down at him. "You've been away for so long, I want to have you as long as I can."

"Roxas, you have me for the rest of forever." Axel pressed his hand to the blond's face and looked up at him with sincerity in his eyes. He realized now that this was less about sex for Roxas and more about reclaiming what he didn't want to lose again. "All sexiness and foreplay aside, this is real. It won't be snatched away. We have the rest of our lives to be together so don't you worry about that anymore. We have the rest of our lives to have sex. But its been a long week. Right now, I kinda just want to hold you in my arms."

Roxas stared down at Axel in awe a moment before smiling and nodding slowly. "Alright."

Axel sighed happily and pulled Roxas to lay on the bed beside him. He wrapped his arms tightly around the blond and kissed his forehead gently. "I love you Roxas."

"I love you too." Roxas smiled and nuzzled his face into Axel's chest. Before long he was able to drift off to sleep.


	19. She

So, its Wednesday! YAY WEDNESDAY! I've actually got a couple more chapters done somehow between Sunday and today so I'm giving you a "Middle of the Week Special," complete with smut!

This is a cute little happy chapter. ENJOY IT _while you can_!

Ah yes, the always foreboding author's note that you all loath so much. Bwa ha ha!

Anyhow, I like this chapter a lot. Saïx totally captures my heart in this chapter. As much as I hate him in the game, I wanna hug him in this chapter and squeeze him!

Smut starts at "I don't think it is." and ends at "Good night Roxas. I love you." Not too smutty really but whatever. If I don't put the warning some people complain even though the rating is M for a reason.

Enjoy!

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"Oh geeze, not again." Roxas sat in the dark room blinking, eyes trying to focus on everything. Axel kneeling against the wall? No, just the case for his record player and record collection. Axel standing in the far corner of the room? No, just the tall, slender book case that held very little books. Cursed shadows and the tricks they could play on your eyes when it was dark. Roxas crawled slowly out of bed. He had been startled awake when he heard the sound of the front door slam shut. He pressed the illuminate button on the electric clock and saw that it was only one o'clock in the morning. Why was it so dark? It was never this dark. The nightlight in the hallway always shined dimly giving half the room a warm orange glow. Had it burned out? No, Roxas could see its light peeking under the crack of the door. The bedroom door had been shut. Surely Axel was trying to escape without being caught. Roxas rushed out of the room, not bothering to put any form of bottoms on, and started down the hall but he froze as he heard whispers in the living room. Talk about déjà vu. His listened closely.

Saïx grinned as he plopped down on the couch. "So, you're really back for good?"

"I think so. I mean, its really up to Roxas and what he wants to do. But Saï, I really think we've reconnected." Axel smiled and looked to his brother with excitement. "I'm really confident about this."

"Well it's good. I'm glad." Saïx stretched his legs out and put them on the coffee table in front of him, something Roxas always nagged him about, but if Roxas was going to lock the door then piss on him and his rules. "And Luxord was totally understanding about it? That's a shock. Then again, I didn't expect that he really gave a shit about you at all."

"Hey now, that's not true. I know he didn't seem to have changed a whole lot but he has. He said that back in England, one of his best friends died. I guess the guy got really sick. Some kind of skin cancer that spread all over his whole body. He said that guy died a slow, agonizing death. And when that happened it made him realize he needed to make right everything that he'd done wrong. So he came back here to patch things up with the people he hurt. Me included." Axel sighed. "Don't hate him Saïx. _I _was the one that made the mistake of going back to him. _I_ was the one that threw everything I had away. I guess I had just dreamed about having that old life back for so long that when I had the chance to get it back, I just went for it. I didn't stop to think about how much better my life was with Roxas. I didn't stop to think about how truly happy I was or how I didn't need that old life. And I didn't even stop to think about how much I might hurt Roxas. I was being totally selfish."

Saïx nodded. "You were. And you're lucky Roxas even let you in here after that shit you pulled Axel. You never make very smart decisions."

"I know." Axel looked at the floor sadly. "I always know what is best for everybody else. But never for myself. When I was there with Luxord, I wasn't very happy. And I kept telling myself that what I was feeling was wrong. That I was supposed to be happy and that if I just waited a long enough time I would be. But I just wasn't. When Luxord asked me to move in I wasn't happy. In fact, I was sad. And I kept telling myself I shouldn't be sad. That I was really happy inside, I just didn't know it. I tried fooling myself. I tried telling myself it wasn't _my_ fault Roxas and I didn't work out. I tried telling myself it was his fault because he was the one that stormed out on me instead of hearing me out. He refused to listen so it was him, not me. But that was wrong too. I was wrong in every way. Wrong and weak. And I need to tell him all of that but I don't know how. I'm bad with words."

Saïx snorted and rolled his eyes. "You're bad with actions too. You're bad with romance in general."

Axel snickered and nodded slowly. "Yeah. And that's not even the worst part. We went to church today..."

Saïx feigned a gasp. "Oh no! Not organized religion! How terrible!"

"Ha ha. Let me finish before you interrupt me." Axel chuckled and took a deep breath. "So anyway, the priest that spoke at Larxene and Marluxia's burial service told Roxas to come back to the church and do you know why?"

"I'm in stitches just waiting for you to tell me." Saïx said sarcastically as he began pushing his boots off his feet with the edge of the coffee table.

"I think he was trying to set Roxas up with his niece. This girl, Saïx, she's beautiful. But it feels wrong to even think of her like that because looking at her, you just know she's so pure. She's cute as a button, sweetest personality ever. She's got these bright blue eyes that just sparkle with sincerity, and this kind smile that gives you the feeling that she's really not judging you. You know how some people force a smile but it looks almost painful and you can just tell they don't mean it? Not her. Everything about her was just so genuine and _perfect_." Axel sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm not even interested in women but I feel like I could fall in love with her. She's just that wonderful."

"Ah. And you're worried that Roxas will fall for her. She sounds too perfect." Saïx looked to his brother and smirked. "Maybe you should invite her to a show with us."

"Oh, no way! I've corrupted enough Catholic youths in my life to call myself Satan." Axel shook his head. "I don't want to do that to her. She's pure and innocent. I want to keep her that way."

Saïx grinned widely and prodded his brother's arm with his index finger. "You're partial to her! Look at you, you're practically straight now!"

"No, its not that! I mean, yeah I'm partial to her already and I don't even know her. She's so damn likable. And that's the problem! If Roxas did fall for her, and she fell for Roxas… I couldn't do anything to hurt her. I couldn't fight to get him back. I wouldn't want him back if they made each other happy! So I'm worried. And I know Roxas is determined about this church thing. I want to do what he wants to do and he wants to practice his religion again. And that means she'll be there every weekend. A permanent part of our lives. All perfect and pretty with her flawless skin and pretty blonde hair." Axel looked to his brother sadly. "I could lose him to someone that I wouldn't want to steal him back from."

Roxas stood listening to the conversation, some of it making him sad and some of it making him smile. After hearing Axel's concerns Roxas couldn't just sit in silence any longer. He stepped into the living room and smiled softly at Axel. "You aren't going to lose me."

Axel turned his gaze to Roxas and he smiled. "You heard us talking? Just how much did you hear?"

Roxas stepped toward Axel and pulled him to stand, wrapping his arms around the redhead's neck and not caring that the action caused his shirt to lift, exposing his unclothed bottom half to the boy still sitting on the couch. He heard Saïx mumble something about underwear but he was too busy paying attention to Axel. "I heard everything that I needed to hear Axel. I love you. You aren't going to lose me. Especially not to Naminé."

"Naminé!?" Saïx slapped a hand over his mouth and stared at the two in shock. He could already feel the hot blood rushing to his cheeks. "Th-the girl? Her name is Naminé? The priest's niece?"

Axel looked to his brother curiously and nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's her name. Why?"

"O-oh. N-no reason." Saïx looked away from the two. "Gee, sure is getting late. Time to get some sleep."

"Oh no." Axel grinned and stared his brother down. "What's up with you? As soon as Roxas said her name you went damn near insane. What's the deal? You know her or something?"

"Pfft! No!" Saïx laid down on the couch and looked completely away from his brother. "How would someone like _me_ know someone as perfect and beautiful and wonderful as Naminé?"

"You _do_ know her!" Axel pulled away from Roxas and knelt before his brother with a wide smile. "How do you know her?"

Saïx groaned and covered his face with his his hands. "I've been in love with her since my freshman year of high school! Remember when I got these scars? Everybody made fun of me. But not her. She was so nice to me. When everybody else mocked me and even spread rumors about how I got them, she was the one that told me not to listen to them."

Axel looked to his brother with excitement. "How did you meet her!?"

Saïx sighed and kept his face covered by his hands. "It was a week after I got the scars. I was just sitting at school in the rain one day, a bunch of jocks caused me to miss the bus home. I was so angry and bitter with the world. I was ready to just jump out in the middle of traffic or _something_ to just be done with school. And then she came up and she held her umbrella over my head. When I looked up at her it was like looking up at a goddess. She was so beautiful and even though it was dark and rainy outside she seemed so bright. She asked why I was sad. I tried playing it off like I was just pissed, not sad. But she saw right through it. I told her about how I got mugged, and the bastards who did it cut me like this, and about how everybody else said I did it to myself or that mom did it. There were too many rumors to discredit them all. She told me she believed me, and that I shouldn't worry about what everybody else thought as long as those important to me believed me too. That was all she said to me but that was all she had to say. She made me feel like the world wasn't just full of arrogant douche bags."

"Ah! My little brother is in love! How romantic!" Axel squeeled and poked Saïx in the forehead where his hands didn't quite cover. "So all that talk about how love is for morons and true love doesn't exist and all those times you called me an idiot, you were pining away for that sweet little girl!"

Saïx pulled his hands away from his face long enough to scowl at his brother before putting them back. "I wasn't _pining_ _away_. I was just brooding over the fact that I never really talked to her after that. She was quiet and kept to herself, kinda like me. But I could never muster up the courage to just say anything to her. And there were always boys asking her out and she always turned them down and I always thought that she'd probably be _really_ disgusted if I tried to talk to her in public. I mean, sure she was nice that one day but if she was seen talking to me it would probably ruin her reputation and I didn't want to do that to her and I…" He grumbled and huffed. "Are we done talking about this now?"

"Saïx, you shouldn't be embarrassed." Roxas knelt down beside Axel and stared at the slightly older blue haired boy. "Naminé is really pretty and she is very sweet, I can tell. The only problem is that if you end up marrying her, you'll have to…"

"Mary!? Oh no! No, no no no no! I'm not ever going to even talk to her again!" Saïx looked to Roxas with wide eyes and shook his head. "You're crazy! I thought Axel was out of his mind but you're legitimately fucking insane. Could you imagine how well that would go over with her uncle?"

"Who cares!?" Roxas grinned. "You like her a lot, don't you?"

"She's…" Saïx mumbled quietly to himself before crossing his arms. He refused to make eye contact with either Roxas, or Axel. "She's the only thing I couldn't force out of my mind for the past four years."

"That settles it." Axel smirked and ruffled his brother's hair. "You're coming to church with us next weekend."

"What!?" Saïx sat up and looked at his brother in disbelief. "Ok, I take it back. You're definitely the crazier of the two! I can't go to church Axel! Bright blue hair!? Scars on my face!? Tattoos on the back of my hands!? Religion and I _don't_ mix."

"But you _love_ her, don't you?" Axel pinched Saïx's cheek and smiled. "Wouldn't you do anything?"

Saïx batted Axel's hand away and growled. "I can't actually be in love with her! That's ridiculous! I just… I _just_…"

"You just think about her all the time and it makes your heart pound and your palms sweat and its hard to breathe and even though you think it doesn't make sense, somehow it just does." Axel smiled and nodded slowly as his brother's eyes narrowed in that tell-tale way that meant he'd hit the nail right on the head. "I know Saï, I've been there." Axel scooped up Roxas' hand in his and smiled at the blond. "I am there."

Saïx blinked at the two now staring happily at each other and seemingly ignoring him. He scoffed and flicked them both on the forehead. "You're both faggots. Go to bed already."

Axel smiled and pulled Roxas to stand with him. "Alright, sleep well. We'll go out tomorrow and get you a suit for church next weekend."

Saïx grumbled and flipped his brother off. "Fine, whatever."

Roxas chuckled and pulled Axel from the living room to the bedroom. "Ah, quit teasing him. He's embarrassed."

"Yeah, but its just too cute. I always thought that if he ever actually did take interest in someone, it would be someone as snarky and volatile as he is." Axel smiled widely. "I'm happy its someone as sweet as that girl is."

Roxas shrugged and pushed Axel to lay down on the bed, climbing on top of the redhead with a bright smile. "So, you thought you were going to lose me? Axel, we just got each other back."

"Yeah, I know. But I've already screwed up once and I thought, you know, Naminé is really pretty and sweet and well…" Axel looked away from Roxas and sighed. "Well, she's everything you could ever want."

Roxas shook his head. "No, she's not. She's not you Axel. I love you and I want to be with _you_. We've both made some pretty stupid mistakes. But that's done now, ok? Let's focus on us and how happy we can be." He smiled and pressed his lips to Axel's. "I know we have work tomorrow and we should probably sleep, but I want to make love to you Axel. I know I said no sex. But really, is it such a sin if it is with the person you love?"

Axel shook his head and smiled up at Roxas. "I don't think it is."

"And anyway, I can just confess it later if it is. Right?" Roxas chuckled lightly and pressed his lips to the redhead's. He gripped the underwear that were tightly hugging Axel's hips and pulled them down slowly. The light from the hall shined palely on Axel's form giving sight to just how beautiful the man truly was. Roxas had a thought to close the door in an effort to spare Saïx from any noises they might make but he decided against it. Being able to see Axel clearly was more important. He'd never really taken the time to gaze upon the older man before now. He wet two of his fingers and slid them inside Axel gently, probing with ease to make his lover's walls give way. A soft sigh fell from Axel's lips and made his heart pound.

Axel watched Roxas' face calmly. The blond had this look of awe and contentment in his eyes that brought a smile to Axel's face. He exhaled a warm breath against the boy's neck and kissed a small path up to his ear. "You're looking at me like it's the first time you've ever seen me like this."

"I just know that I've taken you for granted in the past. I won't ever do that again." Roxas pulled his fingers from Axel and pressed his length to the man's opening. "Are you ready?"

Axel nodded and sucked in a quick breath. He felt Roxas' entrance into his body, obvious of the great care his lover was taking to be gentle. He moaned into the crook of the blond's neck and clung tightly to him. "I love you Roxas."

Roxas smiled and ran his hands under the soft cotton shirt that Axel wore and let his fingers trace around to his back to pull him close. "I love you too Axel." His heart was pounding in his chest as he thrust delicately into the older man. He felt arms and legs wrap around him as though he wasn't ever going to get away, and honestly, that was fine with him. He could spend an eternity there in bed with Axel. The man meant more to him than anything, even his stupid religion. This, _this right here_ was what he wanted most. For Axel to be in his arms, loving him and happy with him. He didn't need much else and if it meant he went to hell, then he supposed that was fine as long as the redhead was at his side. Or maybe there was some truth to what Demyx had said. Maybe the real heaven and hell were what you made out of your life. This thought made Roxas smile brightly and he hugged Axel's frame tight. "I'm so incredibly happy right now."

"So am I." Axel ground his hips in time with Roxas' and pulled the blond closer to him. He could feel himself already growing close to an orgasm. Feeling Roxas deep inside him, tip constantly brushing against that special little spot, the slight tremor in the boy's movements, all of it driving him to the edge. "R-rox. I…"

"Shh." Roxas smiled and covered Axel's mouth with his own. He kissed him deeply, loving the tiny whimpers that released into his mouth. He felt the redhead's core convulse around him and the warmth of his ejaculation seeping through their good church shirts. He smiled and nuzzled Axel's neck. "Blasphemy of all blasphemies."

Axel couldn't help a giggle that rose into his throat. "Sorry."

Roxas laughed and shook his head. "Don't be. Just get me to where I want to be."

"Alright." Axel pushed Roxas to roll over onto his back. Once he was above the teen he ground his hips down and let his hands fall into that messy nest of blond hair. The look of pleasure was evident on the boy's features, flushed cheeks and glossy eyes. And then Axel felt that pump of hot seed inside of him almost instantaneously. He lowered his head to kiss his lover gently before flopping down beside him on the bed. He wrapped an arm around the boy and sighed happily. "Good night Roxas. I love you."

"Mmm. I love you too. Good night." Roxas rolled into Axel's embrace and closed his eyes. Everything was going to work out just fine.


	20. Descending Angel

Sorry I didn't update last weekend guys! There were two factors to that. One, my mom and siblings arrived from out of state so there was a lot of hustle and bustle about the house trying to make room for everybody, and the (literally) _hundreds_ of Christmas presents. And the second part was that this chapter is a very happy and funny chapter and just perfect for Christmas time. The following chapters are not. So in my desire to give you a happy and funny Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza/Yalda/Winter Solstice present, I reserved this chapter for today!

Last chapter had not a whole lot going on. But man, do I love that chapter. I'm sure a lot of you are concerned that the story is going to lean toward the possible blooming relationship between Saïx and Naminé, but don't worry. They're still minor characters and it won't be much more than a mention. I recognize that not everyone is a fan of NamSaï like I am so I'll spare you all.

This chapter is very fun. VERY fun. And it was a lot of fun to write. Its a bit on the outrageous side, but only a small bit. And I figured I should get a few laughs in there before I go all "doom and gloom" on you all. Yeah, I'm not even going to try and hide it anymore. You all know by now my stories never have more than a bitter-sweet ending AT BEST.

So, about this chapter. Its just ridiculous. But I love it. And I hope you'll love it too. I can't say much else. Please enjoy and Happy Holidays!

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"This is not going to work out!" Saïx fought against his brother and Roxas as the two dragged him off of the bus they took to get to the church. "Don't do this to me! I don't want to go in there!"

"Don't be such a big baby! Just do what we do." Axel growled and pulled his brother onto the sidewalk as the annoyed looking bus driver shut the doors and pulled off. "See? Too late to turn back now!"

"Like hell. I'll walk home!" Saïx cast a scowl at his brother before calming down and shaking out the suit that he wore. "I feel like a damned fucking monkey in this suit."

"You look good." Axel said and licked his thumb to scrub off a dirty spot on Saïx's cheek that he'd likely obtained from putting up such a fight. He took a spare hair tie from around his wrist and forced his brother to turn around. "Here, let's tie your hair back into a pony tail. Chicks dig guys with pony tails."

Saïx hissed and grumbled. "Oh, like _you_ would know!"

Axel cocked an offended eyebrow. "What's that? You want to sit alone in the back pew while Roxas and I sit closer to the front?"

"N-no…" Saïx sighed and crossed his arms. "I'm just…"

"Oh my gosh, I know you, don't I?" Naminé said quietly as she approached Roxas and Axel and their new companion. "Are you here with these two?" She giggled cutely. "What do you know? It _is_ a small world after all."

Saïx stared at the blonde girl before him in awe. She hadn't changed, not a bit. Of course, it had really only been a few months since he last saw her at their graduation but it felt like it had been years. "Y-yeah."

Naminé smiled brightly and held her hands behind her back. "So, are you friends with Roxas and Axel?"

"I uh… I" Saïx cleared his throat and kicked himself inwardly for being so klutzy with his words. "Axel is my brother and Roxas is our roommate. We're kinda like friends, yeah."

"I'm glad. Its good to have friends, especially ones you can go to church with. And God is such an important person to have in our lives, its wonderful that you can share him with friends." Naminé reached out and grabbed Saïx's hand delicately in her own. "Forgive me, I don't remember your name."

Saïx could feel his eyes bulge at the contact of flesh to flesh and the heat was already rising in his cheeks. "Its Saïx."

"That's right." Naminé smiled and nodded slowly. "I knew that actually. I just couldn't seem to remember. My name is Naminé."

"I know." Saïx bit his tongue. How could he be so stupid to admit that? He needed to stay calm. "I mean, you know, we graduated not too long ago and the dean read off everybody's names. I've got a pretty good memory so…"

"You know, Naminé…" Axel grinned widely and glanced to Roxas. "We were hoping that you were free to go to lunch with us today after church. Nothing too big, just the restaurant down the street or something."

"Yeah." Roxas nodded and smirked as Saïx gave them both a warning glare. "We'd like to become friends with you but its hard if we only see you in church. Its a place to pray, not converse."

Naminé smiled brightly. "That _is_ true! I'll have to ask my uncle and see what he says. How exciting! Hopefully I won't have to bring my guards with me."

Axel's face fell and he and the other two boys looked between themselves with the same dumbfounded gaze on their faces. Finally Axel looked back to Naminé and raised an eyebrow. "You have guards?"

Naminé smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, well, you know. Even though I don't participate in the family business I still get treated like I need to be protected from people who might want to do me harm because I come from such a powerful family. I suppose it makes sense so its probably for the best if they do come along. Not that I think you boys would try to hurt me though. Just, you know. Just in case."

"Family _business_?" Axel stared at the girl quietly before nabbing Roxas and his brother by their sleeves. "Excuse us for a second Naminé, we need to talk." Axel pulled the two away from the cute blond and stared at them with a pale face. "Ok, seriously? Only _you_ would fall for a damned Mafiosa!"

Saïx growled and shook his head. "Don't start getting shitty with me! And she's not a Mafiosa! She said she wasn't involved in the family business. I doubt she even knows what they do!"

Axel groaned and looked sickly toward Naminé who was smiling cutely and waving. "I knew that uncle of hers was too damn creepy looking to be _just_ a priest. I bet they run their organization out of this church! And I'm willing to bet that he wasn't trying to hook you up with his niece after all! He took one look at a young punk kid like you and saw a foot soldier. Snaky bastard is using his pretty little niece to lure in grunt workers. That's low and dirty!"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "I really doubt that Axel. You've just seen one too many movies. That's all." Roxas turned to glance at Naminé who was now talking excitedly to her uncle. "I'm sure he was just in the Korean war or something and that's why he's all scarred up like that. I mean, Larxene knew him from birth. Don't you think she would have bragged to us about knowing a member of the Mafia?"

"Not if she didn't know. Its not like they want to make it common knowledge of what they do." Axel looked to Naminé nervously. Her uncle was now looking over at them and he seemed angry. "Oh great, he's gonna kill us."

"He's not." Roxas sighed and watched as the priest sauntered over toward them. He smiled kindly at the man and waved. "Good morning, father."

"Cut the crap kid." Xigbar glared down at the blond and crossed his arms. "What do you think you're doing inviting my niece to lunch with you?"

Axel forced a smile and put his hands on Roxas' shoulders to pull the boy away. "We didn't mean any harm sir. Honest. Naminé is a very sweet girl. We just wanted to treat her to lunch to get better acquainted."

"My ass." Xigbar turned his deadly gaze to the redhead. "You know, a couple young punks like you… I doubt anybody would miss you."

Roxas cocked an eyebrow to counter the man's hostile tone. "Look, I don't know what you _think_ you know about us, but you're wrong. Naminé needs friends. You can't just keep her sheltered her whole life! If you do that, eventually she'll get a taste of the outside world and she'll go wild. I know, its happened to me. We don't mean any harm to her. Go ahead and have her guards come with her, we don't mind. We just want to be her friends."

Xigbar shook his head. "Over my dead body."

"Then she'll hate you forever." Roxas glanced around the priest to see the blond girl sitting on the steps of the church looking somewhat distraught. "You already told her no, didn't you? And look at her. Look at how sad she is."

Xigbar glanced back at his niece before returning his gaze to the boys before him. He huffed and turned on heel to walk away. "I have to prepare for mass. Excuse me."

Axel watched the priest retreat before clutching Roxas' shoulders. "Holy shit, are you insane!? Standing up to a Mafioso like that!?"

Roxas groaned and looked up at Axel. "He's _not_ a Mafioso, Axel. He's just an overprotective uncle that wants what is best for his niece. The only problem is that he doesn't realize what he's doing is the exact opposite of what is best. Naminé needs friends, and its obvious the poor girl has none."

Axel looked at Roxas skeptically. "That's why you're talking back to a _Mafioso priest_?"

"Well, that." Roxas grinned and winked at his lover. "And I _really _wanna get her and Saïx together. No more love sick hearts in the apartment allowed. We're doing this thing even if it kills us."

"Yeah and if it doesn't kill us, her uncle and the mounds of goons at his disposal will." Axel sighed and untied his hair, refixing it into a pony tail as was his normal nervous habit. He watched as members of the church began to flood in the doors. This was their cue to enter. "Come on, let's get a seat in the back and maybe we can leave real fast before that creepy old man can sick his henchmen on us."

"No way! We're sitting near Naminé. That was the plan." Roxas caught Axel by the sleeve and pulled the man into the church. They followed protocol, instructing Saïx when to sign and when to kneel and where he would have to pray. Finally they took a seat in a pew three rows back from the little blonde girl and mass soon began.

Saïx sat through the service in silence. His eyes kept drifting to Naminé but every so often they'd flicker to the priest in anger. This was his one chance to reach out and form some sort of acquaintanceship with the girl he'd longed to be near since high school, and that ass hole was screwing it up. Time flew by swiftly though and before he knew it, mass was over.

"Alright." Axel stood quickly and ushered his brother and lover out of the pew. "Let's just get going so we can keep our heads."

Roxas sighed and rolled his eyes. "_Relax_ Axel. Even if he was a mobster, he wouldn't kill us in a church."

"He wouldn't kill us at all. He'd have his goons do it." Axel rushed toward the exit of the church but stopped as he felt a hand on his shoulder holding him back. He flinched, instantly assuming it was the priest, but as he glanced back he saw that it was just Roxas. "What?"

"Wait up. Naminé stopped your brother to talk." Roxas watched the two from the small distance and sighed. "Poor girl. She looks so sad. Did you see the way her eyes lit up when we invited her to come along with us? I bet she doesn't have a friend in the world."

Axel looked at the two sadly. "What do you suppose they're talking about?"

Roxas shrugged. "Does it matter? They're talking. That's more than Saïx could have ever hoped for beforehand."

"I guess you're right." Axel wrapped his arm around Roxas' shoulder and smiled. "Isn't budding romance so wonderful, even though our lives are at stake?"

Roxas groaned. "Will you let it go already? The man is a priest, not a Mafioso!"

"Actually, I prefer the term business associate." Xigbar said as he stepped up behind the two boys. He leaned down and stuck his head between them. "Don't you know it is a sin to spread gossip in a church?"

Axel froze and a bolt of fear struck through him. He couldn't bring himself to glance at the man without fear of wetting himself. "Please don't kill us."

Xigbar laughed and put a hand on each boy's shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous! I'm a man of the cloth. I can't kill. I'm pretty much useless actually." He grinned and pointed a few feet away to two massive men still sitting in a pew. "Those two though, they're not hindered by moral obligations."

Roxas turned to look at the priest in utter shock. "Are you serious? So you're really from a crime family? Is _nothing_ sacred anymore? How does that even happen?"

Xigbar stepped from behind the two to the front of them. "I come from a very well respected, wealthy and powerful family. The means by which we obtain our respect, wealth and power are no concern of yours. However, every family needs a least one holy man, am I right? So here I stand. Who else can my family confess their sins to? Some priests these days…" Xigbar made a tsk sound and shook his head. "Some of them you just can't trust. To think, some men would break an oath to _God_ to keep things in confidence, it is sickening."

"So, basically they confess their sins through you. And they have no fear of being turned over to the police." Roxas cocked an eyebrow. "I never thought I'd see the day that corruption reached the church."

Xigbar scoffed and grinned down at the blond. "Then you have a lot to learn about the great thing you call religion. Its nothing but corruption and greed down to the very end."

Axel put his hands on Roxas' shoulders and looked to Xigbar nervously. "Look, we're sorry. We just want to be on our way. We didn't mean to stir up trouble."

"Be on your way? But you can't leave." Xigbar smirked widely and snapped his fingers bringing the two thugs in the pew to attention. "You asked my niece to accompany you two boys to lunch, did you not?"

Roxas nodded slowly. "Yeah. But you told her no."

"Let's just say I had a change of heart." Xigbar turned and looked to his niece. "Nami, I believe these boys are waiting on you to get something to eat."

Roxas watched with a smile as Naminé let out a tiny squeak and her face lit up. His gaze then returned to the priest standing before him. "Thank you. She'll really appreciate this."

"Yeah, yeah." Xigbar crossed his arms and narrowed his gaze on the two boys before him. "Just keep in mind, you are being followed. And should _anything_ go wrong, we already know where you live."

Axel forced a smiled and rubbed the back of his neck briskly. "C-comforting thought, eh Rox?"

--

Naminé smiled and sipped on her soda happily. "I'm so glad my uncle changed his mind."

Axel laughed nervously as he glanced back at the two massive men sitting a few booths away from them. "Y-yeah, us too."

"Its stupid that he has to have me followed though." Naminé pursed her lips in annoyance. "I'm a grown woman now for goodness sake!"

"Wait, so you know you're being tailed?" Roxas furrowed his brow and glanced back at the goons trying to pretend they were invisible.

Naminé shrugged. "Yeah, I get followed everywhere I go. It really bugs me."

"Why don't you tell him?" Roxas picked up a french-fry and popped it in his mouth. "I always thought my parents were over protective but this is a bit much."

"Oh, I have my ways of getting around it. I have a bit of a dark side." Naminé smiled cutely and opened up her purse to reveal a blond wig. "I usually pay a woman to wear this wig and put on my dress to lure Tweedledum and Tweedledee away from wherever I might be for a couple hours. Then we usually meet back up and I give her the money and I get my stuff back. It hasn't failed yet, of course my uncle's associates aren't exactly the brightest men around."

Axel stared at the girl in awe with a strange feeling of disappointment shadowing it. "Y-you're not really sweet and innocent."

Naminé shook her head vigorously. "Nope! And one time I even met some boys who gave me a sip of…" She leaned in closer to the blond and redhead across the table and whispered. "Beer."

Axel gasped and stared at the girl mortified. "Oh no! No, I thought you were an angel!"

Naminé giggled and shook her head. "Nope, I'm a rebel!"

Roxas couldn't fight back the chuckle at his lover's horrified reaction. The girl was hardly a sinner in anyone's book and her actions were so minimal that they didn't even show up as a blip on any form of delinquency meter yet Axel was acting like it was the end of the world because she wasn't entirely pure. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and shook his head at the blond girl. "Naminé, you've got a long way to go before you can even consider yourself a rebel."

"Roxas!" Axel hissed and nudged the blond boy beside him. "Don't encourage that kind of behavior in our perfect, pretty little Naminé! She's fragile!"

Naminé scowled and crossed her arms. "I'm not fragile! And I am _so_ a rebel!"

Roxas grinned and leaned forward. "Have you ever kissed anybody Naminé? Taken drugs? Gone to a punk show and just let loose in the mosh pit? Said to hell with what everybody else thinks and just lived life the way you want to? Because until you've really let loose, you're nothing but a wanna be."

Naminé huffed and reached across the table to grab Roxas' arm. "Come with me! Right now!"

Roxas let himself be yanked up and dragged away toward the restrooms. He was shocked when Naminé pulled him into the women's restroom and pinned him up against the door. "Whoa, wait. Look, I'm not…"

"Hold this." Naminé shoved her purse into Roxas' hands and began sliding out of her dress. "You're going to wear the wig and lure my guards away while I make my escape!"

"Wh-what!?" Roxas shook his head in protest. "I'm not putting on a dress!"

"You're the only one convincing enough! You kinda look like a girl anyway." Naminé slipped out of her dress and handed it into Roxas' arms. "Hurry, switch me clothes."

Roxas fumbled with the dress and scowled. "No way!"

"Do it now or I'll tell those guards that you tried to kiss me!" Naminé shuffled through her purse until she found another wig. It was a short pink one. She tucked her hair underneath it and smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. "I should just get an A-line cut. It looks too cute on me."

Roxas groaned and began stripping his clothes off. He kicked them over to the girl who stood in her bra and panties and began slipping into her dress. "Naminé, I don't have breasts."

"That's ok." Naminé shrugged and pointed to her chest as she began dressing in the boy's clothes. "Neither do I."

Roxas sighed as he finally got the snug dress around his hips. He then put the wig on quickly and adjusted it to look just like the blonde girl's hair. "Ok, now what?"

"Now you and Axel need to lure my guards away while I make a break for it." Naminé hummed quietly as she adjusted the tie around her neck. The suit was a little too big on her but it would do its job. "Meet me back here in five hours."

"Five!?" Roxas stared at the girl in disbelief. "I thought you said you only do this sort of thing for a couple hours!"

"Yeah, well I have to have time to do all those things you said would make me a rebel." Naminé slipped into Roxas' too large for her shoes and smiled. "You ready? You've got to be good at evading your trackers."

"Look, you don't have to do all those things. Those things can be really dangerous." Roxas looked to the girl but it was clear she wasn't listening. "Just, I dunno, just take Saïx with you. He can protect you while still showing you what its really like to be a rebel." Roxas stepped out of the bathroom quickly and back to the booth. He did his best to keep his face hidden from the two goons across the room. "Axel, come with me now."

Axel blinked up at the figure before him curiously. "Roxas?"

Roxas grumbled as he heard a laugh begin to rise from Saïx's throat. He cast the other teen a deadly glare. "Look, I'm doing this for you alright! The least you could do is keep your damn mouth shut and be grateful!" He turned his eyes back to Axel and grabbed the man's arm. "Come on, we need to go and we need to go fast and make sure they don't get a good look at me or we're busted."

"A-alright." Axel stood quickly and wrapped an arm around Roxas. He lead the boy swiftly out the door to the restaurant and sure enough, the guards were quick to follow. He picked up his pace and ducked into an alleyway. "Come on! If they catch us I'm pretty much dead before they even realize you're not her! Why are you even doing this!?"

"That girl is crazy! She threatened to tell her guards that I tried to kiss her if I didn't do this! Besides, I wanted Saïx to be able to have some alone time with her." Roxas grunted as he stumbled trying to run in her too tight for him slip on shoes. "Seeing the way he acted when he was talking about her, and the happiness on his face when he finally saw her this morning; It reminded me of you when we first started exploring our boundaries with each other. I want them to be happy like us."

"Yeah, me too." Axel smiled as he tugged Roxas to the left and rushed into a store. He stood heaving slowly waiting to see the two goons pass by but they appeared to have been lost long ago. He tugged off his jacket and wrapped it around Roxas' shoulders. "You must be freezing. And take off that wig."

Roxas grinned and pulled off the mass of hair. "Maybe _you_ should wear it. They're looking for a tall, lanky redhead too."

"Yeah, don't remind me." Axel groaned grabbed the wig, considering putting it on. "Geeze, I'm gonna have the whole Mafia after me now."

"Not if we just explain to Father Xigbar what happened." Roxas sighed and buttoned up the coat as the cashier in the store gave him a funny look about the dress. "Of course, then we run the risk of getting Naminé into serious trouble. I don't want that."

"She'll be in serious trouble either way. Once those goons tell captain creepy that she ran off she'll be in deep trouble." Axel bit his lip nervously. "And that means us too."

Roxas shook his head slowly. "No, I don't think so. Remember, Naminé said she does this sort of thing all the time. If her uncle got wind of it, I really doubt he'd let her keep going off. No, I think her guards are too scared to say anything to him. Its not just our skins if something happens to her. Its _theirs _too. They'll probably just keep searching and searching till they find her."

"That means its only a matter of time before they find us. We need to go some place safe. But we can't go home, they know where we live and that's the first place they'll look. I just shutter to think what it will look like when we get back there." Axel tapped his foot in thought. "Hmm, a safe place…" He froze and then turned his eyes to Roxas. "Ah damn it. I know where we could go, but I don't think you'll like it."

Roxas' face fell into a look of perturbment. "Oh no! Why the hell would we go _there_?"

"Because Dem doesn't need this stress right now and Zex and Lex probably have school work they have to do." Axel nodded quickly. "Come on, you know its our only choice!"

Roxas growled and crossed his arms. "Fine, but I don't like it."


	21. Die, Die my Darling

Well my friends, let's begin the descent. :(

* * *

"Hey Lux! How's it going?" Axel forced a smile as the Brit opened his door. "Look, we've got the Mafia after us so can we come in for a bit?"

Luxord looked Roxas over curiously. "Where's your pants, mate?"

Roxas crossed his arms. "Long story, can we come in or not?"

"I suppose." Luxord stepped to the side and allowed the two into his apartment. "What, I shudder to ask, did you two do to have the Mafia after you?"

"Oh, you know. Just up to the usual." Axel put his hands in his pockets and looked around the apartment. It was in near shambles, half of everything in boxes, taped up and addressed to somewhere in London. "You're going back to London?"

"Oh." Luxord nudged a box out of Axel's line of sight and shook his head. "Nah, just sending some things home to my mum and sis."

Axel furrowed his brow and took a longer gaze over the room. "Lux, nearly everything of value is boxed up. You think your mom and sister need all that?"

"I believe you made your choice Axel. What I do is none of your business. Which reminds me, I boxed up all your things. I've been meaning to bring them by your place but you're never home and that brother of yours won't open the door for me." Luxord sighed and plopped down on the couch. "Have a seat."

Axel sat on the couch and made room for Roxas to sit beside him. "So, when you going back?"

Luxord scowled and leaned on his knees as he stared forward at the wall. "I already told you, I'm not going back."

Axel shook his head. "Lux, all these boxes…"

"I bloody well told you what I'm doing with those damn boxes!" Luxord roared and glared at the redhead. After a moment he returned his gaze forward and stared blankly at the wall. His hands began trembling lightly and so he pressed them to his face in an effort to still them. "I'm sorry…"

Roxas looked from Axel to Luxord, a bit of concern welling up inside for the man he once loathed. "Hey, are you alright?"

Luxord chuckled lightly and pulled his hands away from his face to look at Roxas. "Like you care."

Axel frowned and grasped Roxas' hand. "Cool it, he's just concerned. You're not yourself Lux. Are you on something right now?"

"On something!?" Luxord stood and kicked a box that was in his way as he began pacing the room. "Oh, I wish I were high right now! I wish I was so cracked out of my bloody brain that I didn't give a fuck about what's happening to me!"

Axel swallowed hard and stared up at his former lover. "And what is happening to you exactly, Lux?"

"This!" Luxord pulled up his pant leg to reveal a path of deep red sores and spots climbing up his leg. He then let the pants fall back down and turned to lift up the back of his shirt. "And this!"

Axel looked to the sores in horror. "Wh-what is it?"

"Kaposi's Sarcoma. That's what the doctors call it." Luxord released the grip on his shirt and buried his face in his hands. "It's the damn same skin cancer that my mate had back in London. The one that consumed his whole body. The one that killed him!" He grit his teeth as tears began to swell in his eyes. "How does that even happen!? Cancer isn't contagious!"

Axel stood slowly. "Hey, look, just cause it killed him doesn't mean…"

"Doesn't it!?" Luxord glared at Axel. "Don't even _try_ to comfort me! I haven't had this for weeks, Axel! This has spread in a matter of _days_! Three times faster than it did on my poor mate. I don't see myself surviving the year. So I'm sending all these things back home, I'm telling my family that I'm moving to New York, and then I'm going to kill myself. Somewhere they'll never find me. My family will be happy thinking I'm alive and well. They won't have to mourn me or miss me or worry about burying me."

Axel looked away from Luxord, doing his best to fight the tears rushing to his eyes and the lump growing in his throat. "L-lux. Don't…"

"Don't what!? Take the easy way out!? Why the fuck not!? Its better than suffering like my mate did! Its better than dying in a hospital bed with a bunch of needles stuck in me and doctors just standing around waiting for me to die and feeling good about themselves thinking they did all they could for me!" Luxord was nearly convulsing now. He was trembling so violently that he could hardly stand on his feet. He knelt to the ground and finally let the tears he'd been holding back fall. "I don't want to die. I want to be with my mum but I can't do this to her. I don't want to die alone."

Roxas looked to Luxord sadly, and then to Axel. Both of them were terrified, and Roxas knew this was hurting Axel much more than he let on. He clutched the redhead's hand tightly in an effort to provide some form of comfort. "We won't let you die alone Luxord. If you want us to be there, we will be."

Axel looked to Roxas quickly and shook his head. "Roxas, I can't!"

Luxord smiled softly and shook his head. "No, mate. I wouldn't want you there. Its something that's private and I don't want anyone to be able to find me." He forced a chuckle and wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve. "You think your Mafia friends would be able to help me?"

"I don't know. We could always try." Roxas wrapped his arms around Axel and motioned for Luxord to join them. When the blond man finally managed to stumble over he pulled him into their hug and held him tightly against them. "Its going to be okay…"


	22. The Haunting

So I suppose you want something happy for New Years.

But sadly, friends, I can't give that to you. I CAN however give you a side fic of what occurred on Naminé and Saïx's "date" if you'd be interested in reading it. ^^ It will be a little one-shot titled "Descending Angel" after the title of the chapter it directly follows.

Even if you don't like them as a pairing, you might want to read it for a greater detail on what exactly occurred between chapters 20-22. It is cute and full of fluff and Nami acting like a wild child. I love it.

That's all I really have to say. Enjoy this sad chapter.

* * *

Saïx let out a heavy sigh as he flopped down in the living room couch. "Today was…"

Roxas' eyes flickered to the blue haired boy as he turned the lock on the door and glanced around the room. Axel had already started down the hall to the bathroom. He'd been too depressed to say much of anything and that was understandable. So this meant Saïx was talking to him. "You had a good day, I take it?"

Saïx rolled over onto his stomach and looked at Roxas. "Naminé is so cute! She thinks she is being such a hardcore rebel when really, she isn't. But its fun to see her try and do bad things. She tried smoking a cigarette today, but she ended up throwing up."

Roxas raised an eyebrow and looked down at his suit. He'd hastily redressed in it without taking much notice, but sure enough, there was a dribble of dried vomit on one of the pant legs. He pulled them off instantly and tossed them down the hall. "Is that all you guys did? Because you were gone for hours and you were even late coming back to the restaurant. Axel and I were sure you got caught."

"Pfft. Caught? Not with her leading me around! We ended up taking a chain of busses down to Venice Beach and walking along the strip. She wanted to buy _everything_ the people out there were selling. By the time we got out there she calmed down quite a bit. She said the reason she runs off and rebels is that she's tired of everybody seeing her as this cute, innocent little girl. So I told her that sneaking around and doing those things wasn't going to change anybody's opinion of her. That if she wanted people to view her differently, she needed to be open about it with them. Then we walked down to Santa Monica and rode some rides, and when we were on the Ferris Wheel…" Saïx let out a heavy sigh and smiled. "We held hands and we kissed. But don't worry, I didn't shove my tongue down her throat or anything. Just a small peck. And man, it was fucking hard too cause I wanted to lay her down _right there_ and just, you know, but Axel would kill me." He paused and looked around. "Speaking of, where did he head off to?"

"The shower. Its been a rough day for him. I think he just wants to take a hot shower and go to bed." Roxas sighed and crossed his arms. "I'm surprised that this place isn't in shambles. I figured those goons would come here looking for her and tear the place up."

Saïx laughed. "Oh, no. No, she's got them on a pretty short leash. We kept stopping every so often so that she could page them on their beepers and tell them that she was fine and that she'd meet up with them later. I guess once she pages them the first time they stop looking for her and just enjoy themselves."

"As much as they can enjoy themselves." Roxas rolled his eyes. "It must be nerve-racking being that girl's body guard. So, we're not having a repeat of this next Sunday, are we?"

Saïx grinned and shook his head. "No, Naminé decided that what I said was right. That she needed to just be open with her family about what she was feeling and what she wanted to do. I don't know how well it will go over with them but depending on that, she might go to a show with me Friday night."

"You're taking her to a show!? Oh geeze, I can see that now." Roxas snorted. "Tiny little Naminé, swept away in the crowd of punks. Disappearing forever, and somehow Axel and I will get the blame for it."

Saïx shook his head. "No, I'll protect her. It'll be fine." He sighed softly and smiled. "Roxas, I'm not really good at this whole gratitude thing, but I'm glad that you did that for me today."

Roxas snickered and started down the hall. "The proper thing to say would be "thank you," and just so you know, you're welcome. Just don't expect me to wear a dress again." He continued down the hall until he came to the bathroom. He heard the shower running inside but he could also hear the faint sound of Axel's sobs. He knew this was hard on Axel. It had only been two weeks since Marluxia and Larxene had died. The redhead had finally started to smile more and it became a lot less of him pretending to be happy and a lot more of him being _actually_ happy. Roxas could tell the difference. But now, someone he loved so much was dying. Luxord had been Axel's first for everything. He was still someone who had a very big place in Axel's heart. And now he had a terminal illness and wanted nothing more than to end it all. Roxas wanted to wrap his arms around Axel and tell him everything would be fine but he knew that would offer very little comfort. Luxord was going to die and it was going to hurt Axel more than he could handle and nothing would change that. He entered the bathroom slowly. "How you doing?"

Axel jumped at the sound of a voice entering his thought stream. He pulled back the shower curtain to look up at Roxas from where he sat in the tub. "H-hey."

Roxas smiled softly and sat on the edge of the tub. "How you doing?"

"Just, you know." Axel sighed and rested his head on his arms. "Falling apart at the seams."

"Look, I know this is hard. But I'm gonna be here through this with you." Roxas reached in and ran a hand through Axel's wet, matted hair. "You don't have to go through this alone."

"I know…" Axel sucked in a shuddering breath and stared up at the blond boy. "But you shouldn't have to be here to support me."

Roxas furrowed his brow and grabbed Axel's hand in his own. "What makes you say that?"

"Luxord was my lover. I know you don't like him." Axel shook his head. "I can't expect you to support me."

"You're right." Roxas pressed his free hand to Axel's cheek and brought the redhead's gaze to meet his. "I didn't like him at all. But that doesn't mean I think he deserves to die. And sure, I wish him dying didn't upset you, but not for the reason you think. In fact, I'm glad that it upsets you. I don't want you to feel like I did when Marluxia and Larxene died, not being effected at all. Its a sickening feeling." Roxas pulled away from Axel and began stripping his clothes off. Once he was naked he climbed into the tub facing Axel and wrapped his arms around his lover. "So if you need to cry, or scream or whatever to release your emotions, you've got me to vent to. Alright?" He pressed his lips to Axel's forehead and held him close. "You're gonna get through this."

Axel nodded slowly and clung tightly to Roxas. "I believe you."

"Good." Roxas forced a smile and ran his hands through Axel's sopping wet locks. "Let's keep a brave face for Saïx, okay? He doesn't need to know what's going on right now. He's happy with the way things are going for him and Naminé, I don't want him to have to worry about you."

Axel chuckled softly. "How _are_ things going for him and Naminé? I hope all that trouble today was worth it."

"I think they've got a good chance at making it. Of course, that's assuming her family chills out and lets her live her own life." Roxas shrugged. "Only time will tell. But let's not worry about that right now. You're the one I'm concerned for."

"No, its good for me to have something else to focus on." Axel smiled and rested his head on Roxas' shoulder. "I hope they get married and have a ton of kids and we can be uncles and spoil those kids rotten."

Roxas laughed softly. "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good." He pulled away from the redhead and stood slowly, turning off the water before grabbing a towel for himself and one for Axel. He tossed a towel on Axel's head and began drying his hair for him. "Its been a long day and I'm tired. What do you say we crawl into bed and listen to some music?"

"That sounds perfect." Axel smiled as Roxas dried his hair with the towel. Once they were both dry enough that they wouldn't drip on the carpet, they started out the door and down the hall to the bedroom. The room was colder than the rest of the apartment, like always, and as soon he entered the room, Axel felt goose pimples prickle up on his arms and legs. "Burr. I hate this time of year."

Roxas smiled and picked up a hairbrush from the dresser and pulled Axel to sit on the bed. He began brushing through the long red locks gently. "Your naturals are starting to show."

"Yeah, I know. I need to dye it again. I was thinking of going black this time." Axel paused to smirk. He knew black was Roxas' least favorite hair color. "What do you think?"

Roxas made a face and continued to untangle the wet, red mat of hair. "You know what I think but I won't stop you. I'll love you either way."

"Yeah, I know." Axel sighed and glanced back at Roxas. "I love you Rox. I'm sorry I'm not the best company right now."

"Stop it." Roxas sat the brush aside and draped himself over Axel's shoulders. "I _understand_, alright? I don't expect you to be a barrel of laughs right now. Its going to take time, and we have all the time in the world. So just relax and don't worry about me. I can handle it if you're a stick in the mud."

Axel snickered and nuzzled his head against the blond's. "You're great, Rox. You really are."

Roxas smiled and kissed Axel's temple. "I know, now come on. Let's turn on some music to fall asleep to."

Axel nodded slowly. "Alright…"


	23. Spinal Remains

Sorry I didn't update this weekend guys. I was on a different planet entirely. I pretty much gave up my New Years Eve to baby sit all weekend. (Which is fine because they pay REALLY well. I'm a high class baby sitter. Lawl.) But I just felt like I was playing Barbies and coloring and reading children's books and watching Yo Gabba Gabba all weekend. And I pretty much was until the night time (and even on some days, way into the night time.) So I didn't get much writing done.

Hrm, this chapter. What can I say about this chapter? I don't like it. I don't like anything about it. I feel like everything happens too fast here and it kinda does, because things happen too fast in real life too and then the next thing you know, your head is spinning and you just got mind fucked and you don't know what the hell is going on and I HATE that about real life. Thusly, I hate that about this chapter.

I also feel like Axel's been doing nothing but crying lately. What a puss. I mean, sure one of the people he loves most in the world is dying, and two of his best friends recently died horrible, gruesome deaths, but geeze man! Toughen up a little bit! Be cold and callous like Roxas was!

Sadly I don't think the crying is going to stop any time soon. I have two chapters after this written and he's crying in both of them. Lame.

Please enjoy!

* * *

"I'm glad you decided to come with us Lux." Roxas looked to the blond man in the driver's seat and forced a smile. "And not just cause we needed a ride."

Luxord grunted in response and glanced at the other blond in his rear view mirror. "And why is it that Saïx is driving the motorcycle?"

"He wants to impress his lady love." Roxas said with a wide grin. "He all but cried when he was begging Axel to let him borrow it."

Luxord cocked an eyebrow at the two in the back seat before turning his eyes back forward. "He doesn't know you're following him, does he?"

Roxas smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Not exactly. See, it isn't that we don't trust him. But if _any_ harm comes to this girl it will mean all of our heads. She's the daughter of that mafia family we had after us the other day. Supposedly they agreed to let her do whatever she wants but I can bet her guards are following her and that means we can't let Saïx get himself into trouble."

"Very interesting." Luxord switched lanes quickly and pulled up to the grungy little hole in the wall where most of the local concerts took place. He parked a good distance from where Saïx had parked the motorcycle and cut the engine. "So, what does the little tart look like anyway?"

"Oh, you'll know her when you see her. She's this cute as a button little blonde girl, and she'll likely be at Saïx's side at all times." Roxas unbuckled and climbed out of the car with Axel trailing soon behind. "She'll probably stick out like a sore thumb."

"At least she'll be easy to keep an eye on, eh?" Luxord started toward the entrance leaving his two passengers far behind him.

Roxas turned to look at Axel and smiled at him in an attempt to lighten the mood. The redhead had been miserable since Luxord arrived at the apartment to pick them up but he'd made the choice to come along and so Roxas wanted to make it a point that he have a good time. "Come on, this will be fun if you let it be."

Axel trudged forward and stared at the ground. The last thing in the world he wanted was to be near Luxord when the only thing that had been on his mind was the suffering the man was going through. The cancer had spread further since the last time they saw him. It was now peeking out from the collar of his jacket and there was no telling just how far it had spread elsewhere. It was just a reminder to Axel that his former lover was dying and hurting and he hated it. He followed Roxas into the building and spotted Saïx nearly right away. As Roxas predicted, the teen had an arm wrapped tightly around Naminé and was pushing away anyone who might bump into the small girl. Despite what might be a terrifying situation, the girl seemed to be having a good time. Axel then scanned the room for the girl's two guards. He knew they had to be close, and sure enough, they were standing near the bar pretending to be invisible. He stood beside Roxas and motioned to the two massive men. They stuck out like sore thumbs. "There's the thugs!"

Roxas chuckled and nodded. "I knew they'd be here!"

"So we really didn't need to come after all!" Axel let out a long groan over the music and nudged Roxas. "Why'd you drag me out here!?"

"Even though they can protect Naminé, Saïx still needs our protection from _them_!" Roxas smiled and shrugged. "Besides, I thought it would be good to get Luxord out of that empty apartment!" He paused to look around for the blond man but couldn't find him. "Speaking of, where is he!?"

"What are you doing here!?" Saïx screamed over the music as he approached his brother and Roxas with Naminé trailing close behind. "Why are you here!?"

Roxas forced a smile and shrugged. "Oh, you know! Just hanging out!"

"My ass! You followed me here!" Saïx scowled and crossed his arms before turning to Naminé and pulling her close. "Well, since you're here do you think you could keep an eye on her for a minute!?"

Roxas looked to Axel who shrugged before turning his eyes back to his fellow teens. "Sure!"

"Good! I have to use the toilet but I don't want to leave her alone and I can't take her with me!" Saïx motioned to the two body guards sitting near the bar. "You know, those two!"

"Gottcha!" Roxas nodded and watched Saïx hurry off. Just as his blue hair disappeared from sight, the band stopped playing and Roxas smiled brightly at Naminé. "So, how do you like the atmosphere?"

Naminé dug a finger in her left ear and cringed. "I think I'm going def in one ear but other than that, its fun and exciting. There are so many interesting people here. Its unlike anything I've ever seen before. So loud and dangerous, but I like it! And can you believe my uncle agreed to it? Of course, I didn't exactly tell him where I was going. But my guards are here so I don't think he trusted Saïx too much."

"Nah, I think he just worries about you." Roxas laughed lightly and cracked his neck. "So, I don't suppose you'll be in the pit tonight."

"Me? In that big round circle? Oh, no!" Naminé giggled and shook her head. "No, Saïx won't let me anywhere near it. I tried to get a little bit close but he wouldn't let me. What a party pooper!"

"Its probably for the best. He doesn't want you to get hurt. These people can get pretty rough in there and sure, they'll help you back up, but could you imagine if you went home with a black eye or a busted lip?" Roxas snickered. "Your uncle would kill Saïx for sure."

"Yeah." Naminé nodded slowly and turned her attention to Axel. "How are you tonight Axel? You don't look like you're feeling too well."

Axel looked down at the blond girl and smiled softly in an attempt to hide his gloom. "Just tired, hun. That's all."

"Now don't go lying to such a lovely young lady." Luxord said with a smile. He scooped the blonde girl's hand up in his own and brought it to his lips. "You must be Saïx's lovely little lady friend. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Luxord."

"A pleasure indeed." Naminé smiled and nodded her head to the tall man before her. "I'm Naminé. Are you a friend of Saïx's?"

"Well, not quite. I'm a friend of Axel's, but I've known the little runt since he was about this tall." Luxord brought his hand to level just under his diaphragm and chuckled. "Got yourself quite a little spitfire, miss. Hope you can handle him."

"He's secretly really sweet." Naminé said with a small blush before turning her eyes toward the direction the blue haired boy had headed off to. As she turned her gaze across the room she spotted him on the floor punching some seemingly random boy. "O-oh my gosh!"

Roxas' eyes flew to where Naminé was looking and they bulged as they fell on Saïx. He had some poor kid pinned underneath him and was wailing on him relentlessly. But just as he seemed ready to leave the boy be and return to them, another kid jumped in on him. This made it an unfair fight and at this, Roxas couldn't just stand by and watch. "Will you keep an eye on her for a second? I gotta go settle this." Without even waiting for Luxord to answer, Roxas rushed over to the forming group and pulled the stranger off of Saïx, only to receive a fist in the face from another person.

"Those two, I swear." Axel growled and clenched his fists. "Lux, please keep Naminé safe. I've got to go beat the hell out of some douche bags." He rushed over to where Saïx and Roxas were rolling around on the ground. The two were doing considerably well holding their own against the three guys attacking them. Axel stepped into the fray and instantly laid an elbow to the face of one of the taller boys. He felt a hand in his hair yanking and he spun around with a fist flying into the face of some girl who thought she'd step up and take a chance with the big boys. He pulled Roxas off the floor by the scruff of his neck and kicked the ribs of the greasy haired boy that had tried to pin him down.

Roxas flashed a bloody grin at his lover and then turned to punch an approaching boy in the face. He turned around to look at Saïx but the teen was now pinning two boys to the ground and alternating punches on both of their faces. He tugged at his arm and pulled him off of the two bleeding teens. "Alright, alright. Enough is enough."

Saïx snarled and spat a mixture of blood and saliva down at the two boys on the floor. As Roxas and his brother dragged him away he began to calm but his heart rate was still pumping. "Fuckers."

"What was that all about, man?" Roxas asked as he pulled Saïx back toward the bathroom. "Did he cut you in line or something?"

"No." Saïx scowled and wiped his bloody lip on the back of his jacket sleeve. "The fat fucker was talking about Naminé, and he was saying some pretty nasty shit. So naturally, I had to shut him up."

"Naturally." Axel rolled his eyes and turned on the water in the sink for the boys who had both sustained worse injury than he had. "I'm sure Naminé will be thrilled that you're defending her honor."

Saïx paused in swishing around a mouthful of water to stare at his brother wide eyed. He spewed the water onto the floor and grasped Axel's sleeve. "Wait, where _is_ Naminé!? Please tell me Demyx is here and she's with him! Tell me you didn't leave her out there alone!"

Axel raised his hands in defense and forced a chuckle. "Relax, she's not alone! Besides, her guards are out there too. She's fine."

Saïx cocked a skeptical eyebrow at his brother and clutched his jacket tighter. "Is she with Demyx? Or even Zexion or Lexaeus?"

"Well, not exactly." Axel ran his hand through his hair, stopping to rub the sore spot where that bitch had tugged a handful. "See, Dem just hasn't been himself lately and he's been really out of touch. And Zex and Lex are busy with school so we didn't want to bother them."

Saïx grit his teeth and scowled at his brother. "Who is she with?"

"Nobody of consequence, really." Axel smiled sheepishly and looked away from his brother. "Just, Luxord."

"Luxord!?" Saïx's face paled. "You left her with the slimy limey!? That smooth talking, skirt chasing, thinks he's God's gift to the fucking world British bastard!?"

"Relax!" Axel caught his brother by the arm and pulled him back as he started to storm out the door. "She's fine. I've got a feeling that Luxord isn't going to bother trying to woo her. He's got a lot else on his mind besides tail."

"Still, I don't like it." Saïx tugged away from his brother and started out the door. "You had better come with me or else I'll end up killing the fucker if he so much as looks at Naminé funny."

"Alright, sheesh." Axel followed his younger brother back into the dark, smoke filled room. He couldn't help but grin as he spotted a couple of the kids they'd just fought kneeling on the ground picking up teeth. His eyes scanned the room but he couldn't spot Luxord or Naminé anywhere. The girl's guards were also no longer sitting at the bar. "Oh my god, please tell me he didn't…"

Roxas looked to Axel curiously as he rejoined him. "Didn't what?"

Axel turned to Roxas with concern now seeping through every bit of him. "Luxord and Naminé are gone, and so are her guards. And do you remember what he said that day? About getting our mafia friends to help him?" He bit his lip, tears rushing to his eyes instantly. "He wants to die and he wants to disappear. Roxas, _they _can do that!"

Roxas looked to the ground in thought before shaking his head slowly. "No. That's a little far fetched Axel. Do you really think Luxord would try to hurt Naminé in hopes of being killed?"

"What would he have to lose!? Nothing!" Axel grasped his head in his hands. "Roxas, I can't go out there and look for him. I can't!"

"I don't want you to. Saïx and I will go. You stay here and just relax. Have a drink. We'll be right back." Roxas yanked Saïx by his sleeve toward the exit and once they were outside he let out a heavy sigh. "Luxord is going to die tonight."

"Yes he is because I'll kill the fucker." Saïx started toward the street. "Where did you guys park?"

"By the motorcycle, but…" Roxas hurried after Saïx but froze as he heard a loud squeak that sounded eerily familiar to Naminé when she was excited. It was followed by three of those distinct noises, the kind you pray you'll only hear in movies, of a silenced gun shooting bullets. He turned back toward the alleyway next to the building and ran over. He arrived just in time to hear a few tiny sobs but it was so dark he couldn't see much more than a mass of silhouettes. "Naminé!? Is that you!? Are you alright!?" It was silent, save for the sound of footsteps rushing toward him. He cringed, just knowing it was one of the guards coming to kill him. But the figure came into the light and slammed against his chest. It was Naminé and she had obviously been crying. "Naminé! You're okay! What happened?"

Naminé buried her face in Roxas' chest and cringed. "I did a good thing, right? I did the right thing?"

Roxas pulled Naminé back from him and looked down at her worriedly. "Naminé, what are you talking about?"

"Y-your friend! He…" Naminé wiped her eyes as tears kept coming forth. "He told me about his illness, about how he wanted to die and just disappear. He asked if I would help him."

"Oh my god." Roxas put his hands on the girl's shoulders and steadied her as she swayed like she would pass out at any moment. "Just calm down Naminé, tell me what happened!"

Naminé sucked in a quick breath, her bottom lip trembling violently. She felt on the edge of hyperventilating. "Wh-while you three were fighting those kids, your friend pulled me aside and told me about how sick he was. He showed me those horrible sores on his body and…" She shivered and shook her head as the image of the cancer on the man's neck came rushing back to her. "It looked so terrible, and I felt so bad. He told me that he was suffering and that he was going to die. Then he told me that he knew I was the daughter of a mob family and that with my help he could…" She swallowed down a sob and bit her bottom lip. "He could end his suffering. He told me if he disappeared, like my family could make him, that his family wouldn't have to know he died. He wanted me to help and pretend like he was kidnapping me and hurting me. At first I didn't want to. I was worried you'd all hate me but he told me you knew about his condition and that you wouldn't be angry. But now I'm not so sure what I did was right. I mean, I just helped a man commit suicide. I-isn't that murder?"

Roxas shook his head and pulled Naminé into a hug. He felt bad for her, this was not something she should have to have on her conscience. "Shh… I think what you did was a very brave thing Naminé. You helped a very sick man end his suffering and I don't think there is anything wrong about that."

Naminé turned away from Roxas slowly. "I've never seen a dead body before, let alone someone killed in front of me." She looked down at her shoes to see a small splatter of blood. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"I think you need to get home, Nam." Roxas sighed sadly and patted her shoulder. The poor girl was damaged, but she was still taking this situation better than most would. He knew though, if he made a big deal out of this, that Naminé would never get over the guilt. And really, what she did wasn't all that terrible, at least, not in his eyes. It was unfortunate that Luxord had to die, but at least this way was quick. At least he wasn't suffering, physically or mentally, anymore. And this was what he wanted, but Naminé seemed unsure of that. Distraught as she was though, she still remained calm. "Saïx will probably come back this way looking for you soon. He'll take you home if you want him to. You should probably get some rest."

"No." Naminé shook her head. "No, someone needs to go with that poor man's body to his final resting place. Someone should say a prayer for him and be there for him. Its only right."

Roxas nodded slowly. "I agree." He sighed as he saw Saïx rushing back toward them with a somewhat relieved, but still perturbed look on his face. Roxas took this as his cue to exit. "Don't go anywhere yet Naminé, I'll be right back. I wanna go with you." He stepped away from the girl and watched as Saïx pulled her into a hug. The boy's eyes flickered to him as he shook his head and Roxas knew exactly what Saïx was saying no to but he couldn't comply. He _had_ to tell Axel what had just occurred. This was something he couldn't just leave his lover in the dark about. He headed back into the building and spotted his redhead right away at the bar. "Axel!"

Axel looked up from the bar to see Roxas only a few feet away at the door. He stood worriedly and rushed over to the boy. "Did you find Naminé?"

"Yeah." Roxas swallowed hard a nodded. "Yeah, we did. She's good and safe."

Axel looked to Roxas quietly a moment expecting him to say more but when the teen declined to speak he decided to probe. His stomach was in knots as he spoke the question he feared the answer to. "And Luxord?"

Roxas looked away from Axel sadly. "He didn't hurt Naminé in any way. In fact, she made it seem as though he was kind to her. So kind, in fact, that she wants to go with him."

"Go with him?" Axel's face paled and tears began swelling in his eyes. "Go with him where?"

Roxas fought his own tears at hearing and seeing the destruction of Axel's hope seep through his composure. He grabbed the redhead's hand and pulled him toward the door. "Come with me. You should be there."

Axel shook his head violently and pulled away from Roxas. "No! No, I can't. I can't Roxas!"

Roxas sighed and looked sadly to Axel. "I won't make you. But I will go because I think that is the least Luxord deserves. And it may be hard for you because you loved him so much, but Axel, I think you'll regret it the rest of your life if you don't go to say goodbye."

Axel let out a low whimper and cringed as his tears and sobs erupted from his body all at once. He collapsed to the floor and grasped his head in his hands as the band in the background took the stage and music flooded his senses. He couldn't hear himself crying over the music but what he _could_ hear was the sound of his heart pounding in his ears, and then silence.


	24. Hell Night

So, I'll be going to Disneyland this weekend (Yes, again. If you don't know by now, I go all the time. I'm a premium annual pass holder and a huge Disney fag) so I'll be uploading three chapters today for you all. Yes, three! But only because this one is super short. I mean, probably the shortest chapter I've ever written.

About the chapter:

This story just jumped three years. Axel is now 27. Roxas is now 21. As for everybody else's ages, do the basic math, it has been three years for them too.

Luxord died. Big surprise. Like you all didn't know that was coming. I hated killing off Lux. I really did, but it served the purpose of the story well and so thus I do as the story commands.

Axel's cries more. It'll stop soon, I promise.

Enjoy.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm finally seeing the Misfits, live!" Roxas said beaming. In all his twenty-one years of life, he'd never been so excited. He stood center stage, eyes shifting from Axel to the dark stage and back again. The redhead was just smiling at him. "Are you excited!?"

"I'm excited that you're excited. It took three damn years for me to get you here, but you're here and that's all that matters." Axel looked from Roxas to Naminé who sat towering over them on Saïx's shoulders. "What about you up there, girlie!? Are you exited!?"

Naminé threw up the horns and screamed at the top of her lungs. "Yeah! Punk fucking rock, bitches!"

"Ha! There ya go!" Axel smiled and returned the sign to the girl as the Misfits took the stage. The crowd roared and the band started playing. But through the first couple of songs, Axel noticed the drummer was off by a large margin. The band seemed to realize this too and Doyle, the guitarist, escorted the man off the stage. He was quickly replaced by the drummer for the Necros and the music continued. But as the band continued to play, Axel felt a sharp pain in his chest and he began to cough. Everything suddenly became very blurry and he realized he was having a hard time breathing. He coughed again, covering his mouth, and as he pulled his hand away he could see with blurred vision that there was blood on his hand. This was not normal. He grasped Roxas' sleeve and tugged lightly. "R-rox…"

Roxas looked to Axel with a smile but it fell as he noticed there was blood on Axel's lips. He turned to his lover with concern and pulled him close. "Axel! What happened!?"

Axel opened his mouth to speak but he could scarcely even whisper. He pulled Roxas close so that his lips pressed to his lover's ear. "I can't breathe."

"Alright, hold on!" Roxas hoisted Axel into his arms and nudged Saïx with his foot. As soon as he got Saïx's attention he started out of the crowd and carried Axel away from the mass of bodies. "Just hold on, ok Ax? Everything is going to be fine. I promise, you'll be fine."

Axel clung tightly to Roxas as he was carried away from the show. He faintly heard Glenn Danzig making an announcement that this was to be the Misfits last live show, that they would be disbanding. Tears flooded to his eyes, his heart breaking. This could not have come at a worse time.


	25. Die Monster Die

So here's where I drop the bomb. A couple people I'm sure saw this coming, and I know Brinkmess knew back in chapter 21 that this was coming. So just take it as you will.

I know, about time Vexen made an appearance, right? For the life of me it is so hard to give him a role other than a doctor. I love that creep bastard though, although he's a lot nicer in this story. Or, at least it seems that way.

Enjoy?

* * *

"What do you mean?" Axel shifted curiously from where he sat on the examination table. "So… I've got GRIDS?"

"Well, they're calling it by a different name now, but yes." Vexen cleared his throat and looked from the paperwork in his hands to his patient. "The new technical name for it is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS, for short. In recent years it has been devastating the gay community. Tell me Axel, have you been sexually active with other men or shared any needles with anyone who might have been?"

Axel stared hard at the floor and nodded. "I'm gay, if that's what you're trying to ask. I've had a handful of partners but in the past three years I've only had one, and I've been his only partner so…"

"Before him?" Vexen pulled out a pen and began scribbling notes down on Axel's file. "How many others?"

"Three. Just three." Axel sighed and looked to his doctor with concern. "What's the deal? How serious is this thing?"

Vexen ignored his patient's question and continued with more of his own. "Of these three men, how many have exhibited signs of illness or death?"

"Only one… I…" Axel wrapped his arms around himself feeling suddenly very alone. "Why all the questions?"

"There is still very little known about your illness, Axel. Every bit of information helps." Vexen continued to write his notes before glancing up at the man. "What was his cause of death?"

"Suicide." Axel looked to the doctor who cocked a curious eyebrow. He didn't want to delve too deeply into conversation with this man but he realized that any information could help. "He had some kind of cancer. Sarcoma, or something like that. He had watched a friend of his back in England suffer and die from it and he didn't want to suffer the same fate. So he, well…"

Vexen nodded slowly, eyes intent on Axel. "Was he sexually active with this friend of his?"

"He didn't say, but that's highly likely. He was never the monogamous type, to say the least." Axel bit his bottom lip. "Are you trying to say that the cancer was contagious?"

"This particular form of cancer, yes." Vexen nodded slowly and turned his eyes to the paperwork before returning them to Axel. "You're lucky you've lasted this long."

"Lasted?" Axel's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean, _lasted_? How sick am I?"

"Forgive me, that was horribly unprofessional of me." Vexen sat his paperwork aside and looked to Axel in seriousness. "As a physician, one of the hardest jobs I have is giving people bad news. Axel, nothing of what I'm about to tell you will be good or happy news. You are very ill. AIDS is a disease that is still unknown to us. We don't know what causes it, only how it spreads. And what we do know is that a person with this disease does not live very long once they become ill. From what we've seen, a person can live with the disease for years without showing signs. You are likely a prime example of that. Others aren't so lucky."

Axel swallowed hard, his hands now trembling. "Alright, and what does this mean for me?"

Vexen sighed heavily and stood from where he sat across from his patient. "Your tests came back to show that you tested positive for Pneumocystis Pneumonia _and_ Tuberculosis."

"But, those are both curable, right?" Axel looked to his doctor as the man loomed over him. "I mean, I used to get Pneumonia all the time when I was little and Tuberculosis is fixable too. Right?"

Vexen shook his head. "I'm afraid that once you become ill, there is very little we can do for you. AIDS weakens your immune system greatly and currently there is no cure for it. With so little known about this disease, the life expectancy of a patient exhibiting symptoms varies. It could be days, it could be weeks or even months. But it is usually painful and agonizing death and most patients don't survive the year." He sighed and picked Axel's papers back up in his hands. "I'm not going to sugar coat things for you and provide you with a false sense of hope. You are dying, Axel. How rapidly, I can't say. It depends on how quickly this illness decimates your body. But make no mistake, you will likely not live to see your twenty-eighth birthday."

Axel stared down at the floor, unable to move and unable to really speak. He blinked away the tears that began flooding his eyes. "R-Roxas..."

Vexen cocked a curious eyebrow at his patient. "Roxas? Is he your lover?"

Axel managed a slow nod and sucked in a quivering breath. "Is he sick too?"

"It is highly likely, especially if you two have had intercourse without the use of condoms." Vexen once again began taking notes on Axel's file. "But if he is infected, and hasn't shown signs of illness, that is a good indication that it hasn't had an effect on his immune system yet."

"Will he get sick?" Axel pressed his hands to his face and forced down a sob. "Will he die?"

"We all die eventually. That is a fate that no one can escape." Vexen tucked his pin back into his pocket. "You know, I don't normally give such advice to my patients, as it tends to be reckless. However, if I were you, I would spend a lot less time worrying about how much time I have left, and a lot more time thinking about how I'm going to spend it." Vexen turned to start out the door. "After all, what is truly important isn't how long we live life, but how effectively we live it."

"Y-you're right." Axel stood slowly and wiped his eyes. "Thank you." He followed the blond doctor out of the room and headed down the long hall to the waiting room. He stepped out and spotted Roxas waiting for him with a hopeful smile. He forced a smile to return to his lover and approached him slowly.

"So, what did the doctor say?" Roxas grasped Axel's hand in his as they started into the parking lot.

"I've got Pneumonia, big surprise." Axel shrugged and climbed onto his motorcycle. "I'll get my prescription later on. I'll be fine."

"You should be in bed." Roxas climbed on to the back of the motorcycle and wrapped his arms around Axel. "I guess I'm just going to have to take care of you."

"Nah, I'll be fine. I do want you to keep your distance from me though." Axel started the engine and glanced back at Roxas. "I don't want you getting sick."

Roxas laughed lightly and shook his head. "Pneumonia isn't contagious, smarty pants."

"This kind is." Axel turned to look at Roxas slowly. "The doctor said it is a new kind, highly contagious. I don't want you getting sick, I know how stubborn you are about doctors."

"I really don't care." Roxas tightened his grip on Axel's waist and pressed his face into his lover's back. "I'd rather get sick and die than not be able to love on you."

A bolt struck through Axel, a mixture of guilt, fear and sadness. He shook his head vigorously and shouted. "Don't say stuff like that Rox!"

"I-I'm sorry." Roxas pulled back to look at his lover but the redhead was staring straight ahead. He sighed and put his head against Axel's back once more. "Come on, let's go home."

"Alright." Axel pulled the motorcycle out of the parking spot and started into traffic. He felt like crying the whole way home but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't let Roxas know how truly destroyed he was right now. Inside him, he was battling himself. He knew he had an obligation to tell Roxas that he had this disease, and that Roxas likely had it as well. But at the same time, Axel knew he didn't have much of his own time left, and what he did have, he wanted it to be happy with Roxas. Telling Roxas now would devastate him. It would eradicate whatever happiness the two could share before his death. How could he rob the person he loved most of blissful ignorance for at least a short while? Eventually Roxas would learn the truth, that was inevitable. But for now, right now, Axel couldn't bring himself to tell his lover that their happy life together would soon be over.


	26. Hybrid Moments

Ok, Axel is officially done crying now. Or, at least for a while. THANK GOD!

If you've been wondering where Demyx and the others have been, wonder no longer! They'll be making a much deserved comeback starting with Dem in this chapter. Hoorah! I missed Demyx so much! Zex and Lex didn't really have big roles but I missed them too. So I'm actually happy about it.

Enjoy! See y'all when I get back from Disneyland!

* * *

"What do you mean?" Demyx looked Axel over worriedly. He hadn't spoken to his once best friend very often in the past few years. Since Larxene and Marluxia's death, Demyx had admittedly become a recluse, and what little interaction he had with other people was with the landlord of the apartment and the rare occasion Zexion or Lexaeus would stop by, but even then they never stayed long. Now Axel, one of the dearest friends he'd ever had, was standing in the apartment he once shared with Marluxia and telling him that he was deathly ill. "Y-you're gonna die, Ax?"

"Look, I know we haven't been close in a long time but I didn't know who else to tell." Axel sighed and looked at the floor. "Back in high school I was always the one you'd come to for support, and even now it seems awkward that I'm here, but you're the only one I can go to with this. You're still my best friend Dem, and I need you."

Demyx smiled sadly. "I'm glad after all this time you still feel that way. I haven't been the best friend I should have been, not to any of you. I've just been held up in here all this time and while real life has been going on outside I've just ignored it and I'm sorry. But I'll be here for you Ax, whatever you need."

Axel smiled and wrapped his arms around the shorter man. "Thank you."

"So, how sick are you?" Demyx pulled away from the hug slowly. "Is it cancer?"

"No, it isn't cancer. Its something much worse. At least with cancer there's a chance you can be cured but the doctor said there's no cure for this." Axel sighed. "I've got something called AIDS. A year ago it was known as GRIDS. Its something gay people get that effects their immune system." He shrugged lightly. "Well, I suppose not all gay people get it. That's why they changed the name. I've read up on it, what little I could find in recent news papers at the library. It gets spread through sex and blood, and even saliva. And I guess once you get it, it just destroys your immune system. You can't fight off illnesses and eventually the illnesses kill you."

"So you just don't get sick then." Demyx forced a smile, trying to stay optimistic. "That's simple, right?"

"I'm already sick Dem. I've got Pneumonia and Tuberculosis. I'm gonna die, and it'll be soon." Axel fought the tears welling up in his eyes. Despite having already accepted his death, the thought still brought him to tears. But he wouldn't cry. He couldn't rely on anyone else to be strong for him. _H_e had to be the strong one and he wouldn't cry no matter what. "I'm fine with it really, I just…"

"Have you told Roxas yet?" Demyx swallowed hard but the lump growing in his throat wouldn't go away. "How is he taking it? I-is he sick too?"

Axel sighed and sat down on the couch. "See, that's the complicated part. Dem, I can't bring myself to tell him. I know that I _should_. I should tell him right away because it isn't just my life at stake, its his too. But at the same time, I want what little time we have left together to be happy and special. I don't want him to constantly be worried about when I'm going to die. I'm trying to keep my distance so that he doesn't get sick. I clean the apartment everyday with disinfectants and stuff. I try to keep him as healthy as possible. I make sure he doesn't drink after me and I don't sleep too close to him at night. I'm trying hard."

"You need to tell him Axel. That's not right. I understand that you want him to be happy but he has a right to know. Hell, he might not even be sick like you. All these precautions could be for nothing." Demyx sat beside Axel on the couch and cupped the older man's hand in his own. "Listen man, Roxas needs you to protect him. You're really all he has as far as family goes. I'm his cousin, sure. But we're not close like we used to be. I'm not close with anybody anymore and I regret that. But you're his world Ax, and he needs to know that you were someone he could trust no matter what. How would you feel if, despite all your precautions, Roxas got sick too? How guilty would you feel?"

"If I wasn't already dead, I'd probably kill myself. That is how horrible I would feel." Axel nodded slowly. "You're right. I need to tell him. I just want him to be happy, you know? I don't want all this to happen but maybe this is what I get for helping corrupt three little Catholic kids."

"Three?" Demyx cocked an eyebrow, hoping to change the subject to something less gloomy before the tears he was fighting back found their way to his face. "I know Larxene and Roxas. Who else?"

"A little girl my brother is dating. She used to be this sweet as pie Catholic girl but somehow I've managed to help mold her into a mini Larxene." Axel chuckled. "Well, not quite Larxene. She's still a bit sweeter than that, but she's foul mouthed and snarky now. And man, does she have a temper."

Demyx snickered. "So she's perfect for your brother."

"Pretty much, yeah." Axel smiled and let out a small sigh. He leaned back on the couch and rested his hands behind his head. "Its strange. All this time can pass by between when we first met and now, and the only thing useful we can ever think to do when its just the two of us is sit around on our asses and rag on my little brother."

Demyx returned Axel's smile. "Guess some things never change."

"Guess so." Axel looked to Demyx before his eyes lit up in excitement. "Demyx! You're a genius!"

"I am?" Demyx raised an eyebrow at the redhead curiously. "Alright, I suppose I am. But what makes you say that?"

"Oh! I could kiss you!" Axel jumped up from the couch and grabbed the younger man's head in his hands. He slapped his lips against Demyx's forehead before grabbing up his jacket and starting toward the door. "Call Zexion and Lexaeus! Tell them to meet us in the spot at eight tonight! I expect you to come too, you damn recluse."

"A-alright." Demyx waved slowly at Axel as he rushed out the door. He then stood and went over to the phone to dial a number he hoped still worked. He pressed the receiver to his ear and punched in the number. It rang and rang and he was just about to give up when finally, there was an answer. "Hey, Zex? Its me… Demyx…"


	27. Fiend Club

So I'll post this chapter this morning instead of waiting for tomorrow. It makes my day at work go by quicker if I'm looking forward to reviews during the day instead of on the weekend.

Uhg, you guys. I've been watching so much Slayers lately. I recently just finished Revolution and Evolution-R and then decided that I needed to actually re-watch it all from the beginning to the end so I got Seasons 1-3 out and have been watching a disc a day since. I'm on the last disc of Next today and will be re-watching Try this weekend (which was my favorite season up until Evolution-R) MAN, I can't believe I forgot how much I LOVE this series! So don't be too surprised if there are a few Slayers one shots popping up now and again. I've been fighting it but the temptation is soooooo strong. Especially because Xellos is just too wonderful.

Anyway, back to this story. In case you couldn't tell, it is nearing the end. And I'm actually happy about it. I feel like it dragged on too long.

This chapter is a decent one. I like a lot of the things Axel is saying in it. It makes sense in a weird, warped little way.

Please enjoy!

* * *

"Where are we going?" Roxas asked breathlessly as Axel tugged him out of their apartment. He let his lover lead him excitedly to the parked motorcycle but curiosity still struck him. "Come on, you know I hate surprises."

"I'm still not telling." Axel said humming before pulling Roxas onto the bike with him. As soon as they were both seated he started the bike and revved the engine, pulling away from the apartment and down the street.

Roxas pressed his face to Axel's back and held on tightly. He hated surprises, he really did. There was something about not knowing that gave him an anxiety. But soon after they were on the road he knew just exactly where he was being taken. It had been three full years since he had gone there, the last time being with Axel when he was trying to feel sorrow for Larxene and Marluxia. And for the life of him, Roxas couldn't understand why Axel was taking him back to Santa Monica. After the death of their friends, it was kind of understood that nobody would return there again. Yet here they were, headed to the spot where they'd spent such good times that distant summer. When they arrived, Roxas climbed off the bike slowly and looked to Axel. "So, why are we here?"

"Roxas! Axel!" Naminé waved excitedly at the two from her perch on the beach. "About damn time you got here!"

Roxas whipped around at the sound of the female voice. For a moment he thought he'd heard Larxene yelling, but he knew it was impossible. His eyes fell on Naminé and a sad smile crossed his face. "H-hey Nam!" He turned his gaze back to Axel and tilted his head to the side. "Naminé and Saïx are here?"

Axel grinned as Zexion pulled up right beside them in a black Volvo. "And the others too."

Demyx stepped out from the back of the sleek black car and smiled. "Hey cuz, long time no see." He ruffled his cousin's hair and chuckled. "Still short as ever I see."

"Dem!" Roxas smiled as his eyes flew from his cousin to Lexaeus and Zexion. "Lex! Zex! What are you guys doing here?"

Zexion shrugged as he locked his car. "No idea. Demyx called us and said Axel wanted us to be here." He turned his gaze from Roxas to the redhead behind him. "So, why are we here?"

"Because, there are some things that don't have to change just because other things do." Axel smiled and motioned to the sand. "Come on, let's go sit."

Roxas nodded and followed Axel to the spot where Naminé and Saïx were already sitting. He plopped down and watched the others form a circle, but none of them sat where they would have sat over three years ago. He looked to Axel curiously as the redhead sat down, not beside him, but across from him. He furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to speak but Axel beat him to it.

"You're probably all really curious about why we're here. I know for some of you, even thinking about coming back to this place was hard. So for even being here, I want to thank you. But I felt this was the right place to tell you what it is I need to tell you. But before I do that, there is more I want to say." Axel looked to the four that used to frequent this beach with him. "We used to spend so much time here together. We'd act like jackasses and run around wild and drink till we thought we'd puke and sometimes go up on the pier and ride the rides so that we _could_ puke. We had some of the best times in our lives here in this sand, just being alive. There was no work or parents or school that we had to worry about. It was just us, here. And when Marly and Lar died we just stopped coming. Why? Did we think it would be disrespectful to come here now that they're gone? Would we have stopped coming if they'd only moved away? Hell no we wouldn't have! And being here isn't disrespectful to them just because they're dead! This is a place where we had so many good times with them. Why should we stop coming!?"

Roxas looked from Axel as the man paused to obviously fight down a lump growing in his throat. His eyes fell on Demyx, Zexion and Lexaeus who all stared down at the sand sadly. Axel inhaled and this brought Roxas back to his attention.

"When we came here and we sat in this sand, none of you dared sit in your normal spots. Why? Why does that have to change? It shouldn't! Zexion, you didn't even bring a book and I know damn well you still like to read. Lex, you didn't bring your brain teaser puzzles. And Demyx, where's your notepad and pen!? When I went to the apartment today I saw it sitting on the table so I know you still write lyrics!" Axel sighed and shook his head. "Mar and Lar died and that was something that changed. But just because that changed, why should this have to? Sure, we can be sad and mourn them and sure, it can be hard for a while. But it won't always be like that and eventually we have to be happy again and giving this place up is not going to change how we felt about them. It isn't going to somehow make their deaths any less horrific or sad. We still all miss them, so why give up something that we shared with them?" Axel stared at the others, none of them making eye contact except for Roxas. He forced a smile at his lover before taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Anybody have anything to add?"

Roxas nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think you're right. I didn't spend as much time here with them as you guys did but what time I did spend, it was the best time of my life. And I think that giving that up is more disrespectful than anything. They wouldn't quit coming here if we died. Marluxia would have just brought enough alcohol for those who weren't here and drank twice as much in our honor." Roxas laughed softly and shook his head. "And Larxene wouldn't stop coming here. She'd say that she wouldn't let us ruin her fun and then she'd just sit around acting like she never liked us and smoke on her cigarette."

Demyx chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, she would have."

Roxas smiled. "You're right Axel. Coming here is a better way to remember them than just sitting around feeling sad. There were so many good times spent here and nothing will change that. So we shouldn't give that up. Right?" He looked to the others and they nodded slowly. "I guess that this right here is the closest we'll ever get to having them back. And we shouldn't lose that."

Axel smiled softly. "I'm glad you see it that way. Most of the time my thought process is lost on people and I just come off as an insensitive jerk."

Roxas shrugged. "I get it though. We've all known you long enough to at least get where you're coming from."

Axel nodded before closing is eyes and exhaling a long breath. "Well that brings us to the main reason that I gathered you all here." His gaze fell over everyone in the group now. "I brought you all here to tell you something important. It is something that is going to change, but I don't want it to change this. Promise me before I tell you that it won't change _this_."

Roxas nodded. "I promise."

Zexion cocked a curious brow before nodding also. "I promise."

Lexaeus nodded. "Me too."

Demyx sighed sadly. He knew where this was going and he hated it. But Axel was asking this of all of them and he couldn't say no. "Yeah, I promise."

Naminé nodded. "Me too."

Saïx looked to his brother with concern. "Ok, whatever. We promise! Just tell us already!"

Axel watched the others for a moment, their curiosity all peaked. He forced a smile and sighed. "Some of you know I went to the doctor the other day after that episode I had at the Misfits show. I needed to find out why I was coughing up blood. Roxas and Saïx, I told you I had Pneumonia and that's true. But there is more that I didn't tell you. Rox, this is the reason I've been so distant the past couple of days." He turned his eyes onto his lover and smiled sadly. "I also have Tuberculosis. Now, normally that wouldn't be a big deal since there is a way to treat it now. But there's more to it than that. I have something called AIDS. Not too long ago it was better known as the Gay Related Immune Deficiency syndrome. But more and more people who aren't gay are getting it. I have it, and it is devastating my immune system."

Roxas blinked at Axel in shock. "Wh-what?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner Roxas. I just wanted the time we have together to be happy and special." Axel looked to his lover with sad eyes. "I'm dying. I have no way of fighting off either the Tuberculosis or the Pneumonia. One or the other will take my life very soon. And that is why I've tried to keep my distance from you. From what I've learned about AIDS in the past couple of days, I'm almost sure that you have it too. You're not sick yet but you could get sick very easily and I don't want you to get sick and die all because of me."

Roxas stared forward at Axel, so many emotions welling up inside of him. Anger, sorrow, fear and hurt were the main things flooding him. He growled as tears rushed to his cheeks and slammed his fist down in the sand. "Wh-why didn't you tell me Axel!?"

Axel looked away from Roxas sadly. "I just wanted you to be happy while you could. I thought that…"

"You thought what!? That you could protect me forever!?" Roxas stood quickly and clenched his fists as he glared at Axel. "You've known for three days now and you've just acted like nothing is wrong! You're dying and you couldn't even tell me!? You're supposed to be able to tell me everything!"

"Roxas!" Demyx reached up and grabbed his cousin's arm. "Axel had your best interest at heart! It isn't like he meant to hurt you or wanted to keep you in the dark. He just thought you'd be happier that way. And really, wouldn't you be?"

Roxas tore his arm from Demyx's grasp and scowled. "Well, yeah! But that doesn't give him the right to just play stupid games!"

"This isn't a game Rox!" Demyx jumped to his feet and stared hard at his cousin. "You're acting like a spoiled fucking brat! I know that he shouldn't have kept it from you but its not like he was trying to be malicious about it!"

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one with the devastating illness! I am!" Roxas turned his gaze from Demyx to Axel. "You…"

Axel looked to Roxas guiltily. "I'm sorry Rox."

"How could you do this!? Axel, I trusted you! I believed in you and I always thought of all people, _you_ would never lie to me!" Roxas blinked away his tears and motioned to the group. "And even now you don't have the courtesy to tell me one on one! You have to involve the others too!?"

"Roxas, I just wanted everyone to know. And I thought that if we were all together that we could console each other better. I'm sorry. You should have been the first one I told and I shouldn't have tried to keep is a secret. I'm sorry. I just wanted to you be happy while you could be." Axel sighed sadly. "Please sit down. We have a lot more to discuss."

Roxas glared at Axel through his tears before finally dropping back down to the ground. "Say what you need to say."

Axel let out a heavy sigh before turning his eyes on the others. "I wanted to tell you all together, because you guys are my fucking world. You're the only friends I've got. The only friends I need. And whether some of you will admit it or not, you all feel that way about each other too. These past few years we've let Mar and Lar's deaths tear us apart. Dem, you've been my best friend for over ten years now, and I don't even see you! Zex, I didn't even know you got a car! And Lex, you've got a job now, right? What do you even do? I don't know! And I _should_!" He paused to look at the three as they stared back at him. "I thought maybe if Mar and Lar dying tore us all apart, then maybe me dying would bring us all back together again and keep us together. You all want to act like a bunch of hard asses but when it comes right down to it you all need each other! So can't we let this make us closer instead of being sad about it? Shit, you guys, the time I've spent with all of you has been the happiest of my life. Sure, a lot of unhappy shit happened in the middle. That's what life is about! But as long as I have the happy stuff to think back on then I don't feel like it was all for nothing. And I'm not going to say I don't want you to cry or be sad when I'm gone because you can bet your ass I do. I want you to miss me and I want it to hurt because that's _good_ for you and it only means I meant that much to you all and that isn't a bad thing! But when you need to think back on me, you all get together and you do it _here_ and god damn it, you'll be fucking happy about it too or so help me, I'll come back and haunt every single one of you sons of bitches until you do!"

Demyx managed a small chuckle, but it was quickly swallowed by the sob that followed it. "G-god damn it Axel! Don't be so fucking ridiculous at a time like this!"

Axel's eyes flew to Demyx who sat in tears. He then looked to the others, Naminé practically bawling and Saïx doing all in his power to fight it back. Roxas was stone faced, but he looked ready to cry again out of either fury or sorrow. "Don't you dare cry right now! Now isn't the time for being sad! Now is the time for just being grateful for what time we do have left together! I'm not dead yet and I'm not scared of dying either. What scares me is thinking about what is going to happen to you all when I die. But as long as I know that you guys will all have each other then I have nothing to worry about. You'll all be here for each other right? You promised!"

"Damn you Axel! Damn you to hell!" Roxas glared at his lover. "How can you be so calm and so cool!? You're dying! You're going to leave me alone in this fucking world! I don't want that! None of what you're trying to impose on us is your choice to make! Maybe I _want _to get sick and die too. Maybe I don't want to stay well and have to watch you suffer and then spend the rest of my life trying to keep myself healthy! And maybe none of us want to stay friends after you die because what would be the point!? So we can sit around like a bunch of jack offs and feel sorry for one another!?"

"Isn't it better than feeling sorry for yourself!?" Naminé looked to Roxas with a firm scowl on her face. "You're acting like a fucking child Roxas! Grow up! This is the real world and it fucking hurts but we do what we can with what we've got! In case you forgot, you could die just as easily as Axel, so instead of being Captain of the S.S. Pissy Pants why don't you just try and make the best of what you've got!" She huffed loudly and crossed her arms. "Personally I _like_ the idea of everyone being here for each other. We can't change what is happening now so let's just deal with it as it comes. We all made a promise just a few minutes ago, damn it let's fucking keep it!"

Axel smiled at the blonde girl. "Thank you Nam." He turned his eyes back to Roxas and shook his head. "Rox, I know you have so much potential. So just giving up and acting like the world won't go on without me is ridiculous. Even suggesting that you might get sick and die too, just because you don't want to have to fight to live…" Axel growled and kicked the sand. "That's just fucking stupidity Roxas! Shit like that is for quitters. Are you a fucking quitter?"

Roxas crossed his arms. "You know I'm not."

"Then knock of this dumb ass attitude of yours! I'm sorry I hurt you, alright? That was the opposite of my intentions. But acting like this now is getting us nowhere." Axel forced a smile and leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees. "Don't you agree?"

"Y-yeah." Roxas bit his bottom lip as it started to quiver. He could feel tears building up in his eyes yet again. "It's just… I hate the thought of spending the rest of this time so distant from you! When I said I didn't care if I got sick and died, I meant it Axel! As long as I can be with you, nothing else matters." Roxas lurched forward across the sand and wrapped his arms around Axel's waist. He didn't even bother trying to fight it back and he didn't care if the others saw him in this moment of weakness. None of his stupid pride mattered right now. But instead of the snickers or scoffs that he would normally expect to receive from his friends any time he displayed emotion, he felt bodies against him. He peeked up to see Naminé at first clinging to both him and Axel, and then he saw Saïx hugging onto his brother tightly. Demyx was quick to follow and even Zexion, a man Roxas had not seen a sliver of emotion from even once, was now pulling himself into this strange form of hug that they had. Lexaeus only placed his massive hands where he could, but Roxas was certain that the giant would scoop them all up in his arms if their positioning wasn't so awkward. He let himself cry into Axel's lap, unsure of how long they would stay like that. Minutes passed by like hours and finally Roxas let himself fall asleep that way. He hoped that when he next awoke, this would all be just a bad dream.


	28. Last Caress

Man… I had a really hard time with this chapter.

Maybe its just all the shit I've been going through lately but I freaking broke down and cried in the middle of writing this.

Guys, I'm freaking depressed right now. I'm not on top of my game at all.

And I know it is just a phase and that life will get better, so I probably should have held off on writing this till then so it wouldn't end up so badly. But I don't know WHEN it will get better. It could be weeks, it could be years. And I can't make you guys wait. So I just did it and I hope it isn't too badly written.

This is not the last chapter.

* * *

"You're not listening to me!" Roxas growled as a nurse blocked his entry into the emergency room. "Damn it, let us in!"

Vexen sighed as he approached the disgruntled looking group and crossed his arms. "I assume you're here to see Axel. I'm sorry but in his current state, only family is allowed in."

Roxas shot a glare to the approaching blond doctor. "We _are_ his family! Let us see him!"

Vexen shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't break the rules. I understand that he has a brother, so whichever one of you that is, you may go in. Everyone else will have to stay out. I'm sorry."

Roxas growled as Vexen retreated and turned to the others. "D-damn it! Why won't they let us see him!?"

Lexaeus bowed his head. "It must be bad, if they're only allowing family in."

"D-don't say that!" Roxas scowled and clenched his fists as tears began streaming down his cheeks. "I'm so pissed right now! We all deserve to see him! We all deserve to be in there! He needs us! He needs us by his side or he won't want to fight! And where the hell _is_ Saïx anyway!?"

Demyx pulled Roxas away from the emergency room and into a hug with a sigh. "I don't know, Rox. Just try to stay calm."

"Calm!?" Roxas clung to Demyx and grit his teeth. "How can I be calm when…"

"Hey!" Saïx rushed up to the group standing down the hall from the emergency room with Naminé trailing close behind. "I got here as soon as I could. What the hell happened!?"

Roxas pulled away from Demyx and looked to Saïx with wide eyes. "We were just hanging out at Zex's place and listening to music and just having a good time. Zexion kept stubbing his toe on a book shelf when he was trying to step around Demyx and every time he did we would laugh cause it was so fucking funny. And we were just sitting around laughing and we were laughing _so hard_. And then Axel just started coughing, and he kept coughing, and blood was coming out when he coughed. A-and he just kept coughing up blood and it was everywhere and he couldn't stop coughing and then…" Roxas choked back a sob and shook his head. "Geeze, he _just kept coughing_! He kept bleeding! And he passed out and we called the ambulance but then we couldn't even wait because he stopped breathing! So we drove him here and now they won't let anyone in to see him and we've been waiting for almost an hour and they won't tell us _anything_! We don't know how he is doing!"

Saïx grabbed Roxas by his shoulders in an effort to calm him. "It will be alright. Just calm down."

"I can't calm down! They won't let me see him. Saïx, you're the only one they'll let in." Roxas looked to his lover's brother and cringed as more tears came forward. "I don't think he's gonna make it."

Saïx's face fell and he looked down at the floor. "Th-this is it then?" He turned to look at Naminé who was trying her hardest not to cry before turning his gaze back to Roxas. "Well then, come with me…"

Roxas looked to Saïx curiously and let the other man lead him up to the entrance to the emergency room.

Saïx looked down at the prudish nurse who stood guarding the door. "Is it still family only?"

Roxas watched with a sinking heart as the brunette bitch before him nodded with some sick form of smirk, obviously judging them by their appearance. He opened his mouth to protest against the woman once more but was stopped as Saïx wrapped his arms around him tightly. "Wha?"

"Well Saïx, go say goodbye to your brother for us. I know you wanted us all to be there with you but I know you can be strong." Saïx smiled and pulled away from Roxas slowly. "If they say we can't come in, then we can't come in. But _he's your brother_ and at least you should be able to be there with him."

Roxas furrowed his brow in confusion before it dawned upon him just what the other man was doing. "B-but…"

Saïx shook his head and forced a smile. "No buts. Now come on, he needs you with him."

Roxas could hardly fight the tears welling up in his eyes at Saïx's generosity. He was giving up his ability to say goodbye to his brother so that Roxas could be with him instead. He smiled kindly and mouthed a "thank you" before brushing past the snooty nurse blocking the entrance. The long hall was filled with many injured people, and nurses bustling back and forth. He spotted the blond doctor right away and hurried over to him. "I'm Axel's brother, Saïx. W-where is he?"

Vexen looked down at the blond young man before him curiously before sighing and leading him down an adjacent corridor. "This way. He can't be kept with the other emergency patients. Tuberculosis is contagious, I'm sure you know."

Roxas nodded and followed hurriedly after the doctor. They turned down another corridor before finally coming to an abrupt stop. Roxas peered into the window curiously but inside was dimly lit and he could hardly see. "H-how is he?"

Vexen looked down at Roxas and then glanced into his patient's room. "It looks grim. We've noticed that patients with his particular condition don't tend to last very long once ill. He's currently on oxygen. He isn't breathing well at all. Your brother will more than likely succumb to his illness before the morning. There is little more we can do for him now, other than pray." Vexen turned the handle on the door and stepped aside for Roxas. "You may see him now."

Roxas stepped into the room hesitantly, the horrible sound of the oxygen tank already making him feel ill. But he couldn't turn back. He approached Axel's bed slowly and pulled up a chair to sit beside him. Axel appeared to be asleep. He reached out and grabbed his lover's hand in his own and brought it to his lips. "H-hey, Axel. Wake up."

Axel groaned and opened his eyes slowly. His gaze fell on Roxas and he smiled. "Now there's a surprise. They told me only family could come back here…"

Roxas glanced to the door, but the doctor was already gone. He turned his eyes back to Axel and forced a smile through his tears. "Y-yeah well… I wasn't about to let that stop me."

Axel chuckled softly and weakly squeezed Roxas' hand. "I'm really sorry, Rox."

"Don't." Roxas shook his head sending tears flying in every direction. "Don't start saying you're sorry."

"But I am. None of this should have happened." Axel sighed and stared at Roxas sadly. "I love you Rox. This isn't how I wanted to leave things."

"I know." Roxas stood slowly and pulled the oxygen mask off Axel's face long enough to press his lips to his lover's. "I love you Axel."

"Lay beside me, Rox." Axel made an effort to scoot over to make room for the blond on the bed. "I want to feel you holding me."

Roxas nodded slowly and climbed onto the bed to lay beside Axel. He took care not to pull on the many cords protruding from his lover's body as he settled down and wrapped his arms around him. He listened sadly to the sound of the heart monitor beeping slowly just a few feet away.

Axel smiled and snuggled closer to Roxas. "I'm glad that you got back here to see me."

Roxas swallowed down the lump in his throat and nodded. "Yeah. So am I."

Axel snickered and nuzzled Roxas' neck. "Sweet lovely death, I am waiting for your breath. Come sweet death…"

"One last caress…" Roxas raised his hand to Axel's face to thumb over his cheek gently. "You're not going to try to fight this, are you?"

"Nah… I don't got it in me." Axel pulled his oxygen mask down and pressed his chapped lips to Roxas' forehead. "We all gotta go some time. And I can't keep doing this to you. So no, I'm not gonna fight. I'm sorry, I hope you understand."

Roxas whimpered and clung tighter to Axel. "I do. But…"

"No buts." Axel smiled and kissed Roxas on his nose. "It won't be long. Stay here with me until then."

Roxas nodded as his tears overwhelmed his face. He held on tightly to Axel and closed his eyes. Minutes passed by and just like a few nights ago at the beach, they seemed to take hours. Roxas was unsure just how long they laid there, but he listened to the heart monitor beeping. It beeped slower and slower and slower. And then…

That. Horrible. Long. Beep.


	29. Where Eagles Dare

So, here is the last chapter. It may be sad in a small way, but it is also very happy. Despite how depressed I've been the past couple days, this put me in a goofy-happy mood.

Nearly seven years have passed since the last chapter. This takes place during the summer time (Making this the summer of 1990. Ah, gooood times. Gooood times. I would have been three years old at this time. Lol.)

This chapter is short, simple and to the point.

See, my stories can have a _somewhat_ happy ending for everyone involved!

I hope you all enjoyed this story! Thank you for sticking through it with me! Thanks to those of you who read this and weren't even AkuRoku fans but decided to give it the benefit of a doubt for my sake! That really means a lot. Thank you to all those who reviewed! I'll never ask/beg for reviews but that doesn't mean I don't like them. I love them and each and every review puts a happy smile on my face so thank you all! I love getting feedback from you guys. You're wonderful! And thanks to the lovely Carhilwenne/f8e(dot)deviant art(dot)com for the amazing fanart pictures she did for me, and thanks to anybody who may do fanart in the future! And thank you to all those who refer my writing to others! It means a lot and I didn't realize so many people were referring this story (or any of my stories) to others! I appreciate it a lot.

Ok, I'm going to stop gushing about how great you all are now. You know you guys are awesome!

Remember, life is full of ups and downs but live it the best that you can, as happily and as effectively as you can!

Thank you ALL for the support!

Here is the last chapter, the title chapter, of Where Eagles Dare!

* * *

"It's about time you got here, man." Demyx handed a beer into his cousin's hand and grinned. "We were worried you might not come."

Roxas took a seat next to Demyx and shook his head. "Like I would miss this."

Zexion looked to the blond man curiously from where he lay reading a book on the sand. "What took you so long?"

"The advocacy assembly went on longer than expected. There were a lot of kids with a lot of questions." Roxas took a swig of his beer and shrugged. "There were of course the few jock pricks that asked me if I was a fag. You know, there's at least one in every bunch. But a lot of the kids had a lot of legitimate questions and I didn't want to leave any unanswered."

Demyx grinned. "You're doing a good thing Rox. Kids these days don't think. Somebody has to be out there spreading awareness about STDs and who better than you?"

Roxas nodded slowly. "Yeah. Someone who has lived it first hand should definitely be out there helping kids to understand the dangers of unprotected sex. Otherwise, what good am I?"

Lexaeus smiled. "Axel would be proud."

Roxas looked to Lexaeus and smiled brightly. "Yeah, he would. Speaking of Axel, where is he?"

Demyx motioned to the pier behind Roxas. "He and Nam are up there riding rides. Saïx will be right back, I think we went to go get them."

Roxas smiled. "Good. I haven't seen him in a while. I miss him."

Demyx chuckled. "Wait till you see how big he's gotten. Man, he's shooting up to be so tall! And boy, does he have a mouth on him now. You should hear what that little fucker called me!"

"Hey!" Roxas pointed a finger at Demyx. "Watch how you talk about my nephew, understand?"

"Sorry man, but he kicked me in my leg and called me a mullet haired faggot!" Demyx pouted and ran his fingers through the hair style he'd adored too much to change in the past ten years. "Its not _exactly_ a mullet. Its more like a mul-hawk! The little shit…"

Roxas laughed and smiled as he heard a small voice affectionately yelling "Uncle Roxas" in his direction. He turned to see Naminé and Saïx approaching with their six year old son running way ahead of them, his red mohawk flip flopping as he ran. Roxas caught the young boy in his arms and gave him a big hug. He looked to his friends, almost seven years having passed since the first time they re-gathered as a group in this spot. None of them had changed much with age aside from mature faces and tired eyes, but essentially they were still the same. "Still a bunch of god damned Misfits."


End file.
